Cut steel brooch, early Victorian, c 1850 or possibly somewhat earlier, with hand cut studs riveted to a brass plate. Some of the studs with as much as 21 facets. Cut steel jewelry were often used in the evening, to create a sparkling, diamond-like effect. Width "1 ½ / 4 cm, height "2 ½/ 6,5 cm. Condition: a few studs missing (cf pics).
Extended pin stem and tube hinge. Totally English Victorian with Art Nouveau lines circa 1900 or earlier. Open cut chased bench work sterling pin brooch with extended pin stem, tube hinge and "C" catch.
Marks in back include Anchor, Lion and small "b" with maker's mark of "W A" all of which are in depressed cartouches, also numbers 5 & 2 superimposed and an 8 as model or style number.
2" north to south and 2.5" across.
Nicely engraved, chased and in very good condition...
We love the pleasing niello design of the dotted squares on these substantial cufflinks. The word "niello" is a derivation of the Latin word for "niger" meaning black. Niello was an ancient of silver decorative technique revived by a German jeweler in Paris in the early part of the nineteenth century. It is done by engraving a design on the silver, and filling the recesses with an alloy of lead, copper, sulphur, and silver...
Sterling silver ring with a horse shoe motif as its central feature, set in sterling silver, complete with hallmark and maker's mark S & G. Silver jewelry was popularized in the last quarter of the 19th century because of the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada in the 1860's, which had the effect of greatly increasing the world supply of silver.
The band integrates with the central horseshoe and that is how we know it was originally and cleverly designed to be a horse shoe ring...
Classical Victorian hallmarked bangle bracelet with three rows of tiny fleurons and X shaped patterns running horizontally across the bangle with reeding in between. Our bracelet is hallmarked 1883 Birmingham and is in pristine condition. It is approximately 1/8 inch deep, 1 inch wide, and measures a fairly ample 7 3/4 inch in diameter, suitable for most any size wrist.
Our keeper ring once had hallmarks but they are worn off, so we are estimating this ring to be from the late 1890's. Our ring has plaited gold work on the underside, a work of art of itself. A "Keeper" ring is a snug fitting ring worn to prevent the loss of a more valuable ring by keeping the larger ring from sliding off.
Keeper rings were also known as magic, or illusion rings, because of the illusion created by rotating the band causing it to appear to widen, to narrow, then to widen again...
This is a long silver watch chain with alternating lengths of longer and shorter fetter links. For the better part of the nineteenth century, chains were fashioned laboriously using hand-working skills. A fetter link refers to a longer link which was used to reduce the number of links needed to fabricate a chain, thereby cutting down on the labor...
Victorian Pietra Dura earrings of a butterfly, set in 9K gold. Pietra dura is a form of micro-mosaic made with pieces of hard stone such as agate, and cemented into black marble. It is also known as Florentine mosaic as Florence, Italy was the center of manufacture of these wonderful pieces. Red is a particularly rare color to find in Pietra dura. The earrings are set onto 14K ear wires.
We love these royal blue mirror glass earrings which shine a brighter Bristol blue with the slightest head movement. the beveled hand carved edge is a lovely detail which was clearly time consuming for the maker. The plate glass factory at Vauxhall was known for its production of mirror glass, but in addition, the company employed skillful artisans to produce jewelry out of the remaining shards. Thus was created Vauxhall glass jewelry, much loved then and by collectors today...
Wonderful antique silver cuff with rose gold flowers and arches and yellow leaves with etched tendrils in between. Silver jewelry was made to appeal to the "everyman" in society and after the Silver Jubilee in the later part of the 1800's silver jewelry pieces like our cuff bracelet was made in abundance, but no two pieces were alike and each had its own unique design. This antique cuff bracelet is 7 ½ inches in circumference and is 1 inches wide. It fits a small to medium sized wrist.
Antique 9K gold Victorian "message" ring, "Mizpah, symbolizing a bond between two people, comes from a bible quote in the book of Genesis, "The Lord watch between thee and me, when we are absent one from another". Mizpah is the Hebrew word for "Watchtower", a pillar of stones which symbolized the covenant between Jacob and Laban. Mizpah rings were often exchanged between two people in the hope of protecting the two during a period of separation, often by war.
The birthstone for December, this antique five-stone turquoise ring, with its smooth, sky blue, nicely matched stones, is 15K and hallmarked Chester, 1907. Turquoise was thought to have talisman properties and to bring good fortune to the wearer. The ring is a size 7.5
Sparkling Victorian cut steel earrings with faceted balls, leaves and circles. Cut steel was popular in England for its luster and shine in candlelight. Each tiny stud is hand cut and embedded in a metal base plate. Cut steel was the only form of jewelry made by steel workers and was a huge industry in the 19th century. It should be noted that while the jewelry was riveted by steelworkers, the polishing of the jewelry was done by local women, in a cottage industry of sorts...
English Victorian buckle ring in 9K and a sterling silver buckle, c1890. The contrast of the two metals is sophisticated and smart looking. The 9K band has an interesting texture, perhaps imitating shagreen. Buckle imagery was used in the Victorian and Edwardian eras to symbolize fidelity and eternal love.Suitable for a man or woman. The ring is a size 11 3/4.
Charming 15K Victorian gypsy ring with an old mine cut diamond securely imbedded in a polished gold band. The ring is hallmarked HM Chester 1890. This type of setting was popular through the late 19th century and well into the 20th. The diamond is securely flush mounted into the band. Flush mounted rings, otherwise known as gypsy rings, can be worn for everyday wear. The ring is great for stacking or worn alone, and with its hallmark and polished gold band is a fine ring indeed...
Our antique band ring has a pleasing minimalist vibe with its open cutwork of scrolls carved in platinum and trimmed in an 22K border. This is a simple band that is complex to make and constructed of materials that were highly expensive. Platinum was and is still an extremely strong and durable metal. The ring works beautifully for stacking ring and with gold and silver rings alike. It is as size 8 and is not size-able.
Antique 18K and diamond-studded lover's knot ring with nice clear hallmarks for Chester, 1909. The knot motif is a Victorian symbol of love. It continued in popularity through WWI. Our knot ring has three old mine cut diamonds embedded securely within incised stars which are further placed in gold squares. The figural knot can be seen on the underside of the ring and is every bit as beautiful as the front. This ring is a size 6 3/4.
18k diamond gypsy ring adorned with 2 cushion cut diamonds and 1 central ruby encased in 8 pointed stars on a polished gold band with a charming incised design on each shoulder and an unusual scalloped edge. Flush mount gypsy rings are one of the most secure settings for gemstones and as such were worn by men and women with active lifestyles. Such rings were very much popular among men...