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Rare Antique Victorian Bell Charm Stickpin, His or Hers
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Gold:
Victorian:
Pre 1900 item# 835525
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you!
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Our delightful bell-shaped antique stickpin must have been fashioned for a gentleman with a highly developed sense of occasion -- the anti-Scrooge, as it were. Obviously perfect to wear during the holiday season, it would also be wonderful for a wedding, christening or any other bell-worthy occasion.
Extremely sturdy and quite rare in form, the pin features a bell that dangles like a charm, swaying freely. (There was never a clapper, so it doesn't make annoying noises.) The bell is so perfect in shape that it must have been cast, but the stock and large jump ring were handcrafted. The stock has the twist in the center that indicates great age, as well as a very graceful curve at the top (from which the bell hangs) that makes me think of old street lanterns.
The pin dates from around the middle of the 19th century, I believe. It was in early Victorian years, soon after the queen's marriage to Prince Albert, that German Christmas traditions entered England and the festival became more important, acquiring most of the traditions now associated with it. In 1841, the Royals put up their first Christmas tree and, also around that time, they began sending Christmas cards. Thus, it was exceedingly fashionable then to ornament oneself in the holiday spirit -- and the quality of this piece indicates it was worn by an "early adopter" of some social standing. This is no flimsy mass-produced trinket. It was most likely made in England; it could, however, be from elsewhere in Europe or from the US. (If American, a pin of this type would certainly have come from New York, since people there were also quick to take up Christmas customs derived from their Dutch heritage and generally close links to Europe.)
There's no question that all the parts are original, since the color match is so precise. Everything's a softly patinated golden hue. I can't say for sure what the metal is, since I'm averse to damaging lovely old things with files and test acids, but the weight suggests rolled gold or bronze, rather than brass. Total length is 2 1/4" and the bell, alone, is about 5/8" tall and 5/8" round at the bottom. The jewel is so well-made that the only flaws I can find are a few teensy dings visible only with magnification and a slight waviness to the lower part of the stock, which any good jeweler could straighten if desired. Provenance is an estate in Arizona: a great place for antiques, since so many people retire there and the climate preserves things beautifully.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Thanks for looking!
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BELAIS Deco Dragonfly Ring Gold Filigree Onyx Diamond
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Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Deco:
Pre 1930 item# 816127
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you!
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Genuine antique jewels with the dragonfly motif are so coveted that they're very hard to get now, as you probably know if you collect Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelry. Making this dragonfly ring even more rare and collectible, it's by the legendary Belais Brothers - makers of the finest white gold filigree in the early 20th century.
Stamped 14k BELAIS, it has an intricately worked basket setting, its sides formed by the exquisitely textured bodies and outspread wings of two large dragonflies. The mounting holds two fancy-cut tablets of highly polished black onyx arranged to look like one elongated stone and set with a small accent diamond framed in white gold. Measuring 3/4" long, 3/8" wide and 3/16" high, this is a dramatic jewel that can't possibly be overlooked. Current size is about a U.S. 6, easily altered since the back of the shank isn't ornamented.
The condition of the filigree is wonderfully crisp and, of course, the bulk of the ring's value resides in its masterful goldwork. Visible only on the underside, there's evidence of an old repair where the onyx stones join. I considered having the onyx replaced, but thought the next owner might prefer to add more colorful gems, instead. Aquamarine, citrine or garnet would be incredibly lovely. The one small flaw was reflected in our original price, which would have been considerably higher if everything were perfect.
At the present sale price, this treasure is a steal. You'll want it insured for $1,000 or more -- a great deal more, if the price of gold keeps rising.
There's no charge for insured delivery anywhere in the U.S. or to most foreign countries. Thanks for looking!
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Antique Art Nouveau Uncas Sterling Marcasite Rose Ring
Catalogue:
Archives:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Art Nouveau:
Pre 1930 item# 730488
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you! $130
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If you don't mind being noticed (and envied), this large and spectacular antique ring is meant for you. It's a knuckle-covering 1 1/4 inches tall and 3/4 of an inch wide at leaf level.
The floral motif, as you see, is absolutely enchanting. Marcasite "dewdrops" nestle among the rose petals and their shape is echoed by round embossing on the leaves. Edges and shoulders are lovingly detailed, as well. Naturally this was the creation of a master, namely Vincent Sorrentino, an Italian immigrant who formed Uncas Manufacturing Company in Rhode Island in 1911. The turn of the twentieth century in America attracted many talented artisans and jewelers from Italy, who were instrumental in development of the American fine and costume jewelry industry.
Rivoli-cut marcasites normally smooth after this long, but here they're still sharply pointed for maximum dazzle. Overall condition of the ring is simply lovely: better than the first one of this type that we sold and as fine as the second and third, which were gone within days -- so, if it strikes your fancy, it would be smart not to delay.
The only difference between this and the others I've had is that the "U" (for Uncas) has an arrow through it, rather than an arrow on each side. That indicates it's a little younger, most likely dating from around the mid-20s, rather than pre-WWI. This design being so gorgeous, they probably made it for 10 or 15 years, until the Nouveau manner was considered totally passé. The company continued in business until the 1980s, using a plethora of different marks as time went on (like Stylecraft in the '30s, Stylerite, Glow-Lite and Jewels of Fashion in the '40s, Sorrento and Vincenzo in the '50s and '60s and Corsini in the '70s and '80s).
Present size is about a US 6 - 6.5, easily changed since the back of the shank is plain. From a New York estate, it's been polished somewhat more brightly than I'd have done, but inevitable tarnish will soon darken it again -- and perhaps you prefer a gleaming look, anyway.
Thanks for looking!
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Large Art Nouveau Repousse Filigree Heart Pin Pendant
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Archives:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Art Nouveau:
Pre 1910 item# 727477
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you!
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This exceptionally beautiful antique necklace pendant, also wearable as a brooch, was obviously hand-crafted. The wax around which the domed front with its intricate repousse details was formed remains in place (as with those fine silver hairbrushes and hand-mirrors of the same period); you can see it through the pretty pierced back. Heavily gilded, the jewel is in marvelous condition - showing the rich patina of age and only minor losses of finish (most on reverse). It measures about 2 1/4 inches by 2 inches, so is a highly impressive, can't-miss-it piece.
Dating is a bit uncertain, since the design says 1885-1900, but this type of safety clasp wasn't introduced until a little later. The pinstem appears to have been shortened (as was common for safety's sake) and the present clasp may have been added at that time. Whether this is Late Victorian or Edwardian, it's a true antique and a rare treasure. Provenance is a West Coast estate.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Darling Deco Sterling Marcasite Hearts and Arrow Brooch
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Archives:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Deco:
Pre 1940 item# 727463
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you!
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This beautiful brooch of sterling silver set with sparkling marcasites is not only romantic but a very high quality jewel, intricately detailed. It measures almost 2 inches from feathers to tip and would be a delightful expression of affection for any gal who loves Art Deco jewelry.
Condition of the piece is lovely and probable dating would be around 1930, based on the 925 hallmark. The word sterling would more likely have appeared in the 1920s. By American 75-year standards, it will very soon be antique rather than merely vintage, if it isn't already.
There's no charge for gift wrap and insured U.S. shipping. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Exquisite Antique Gilt and Celluloid Coral Bracelet
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Archives:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Victorian:
Pre 1900 item# 721540
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you! $289.
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Besides being simply gorgeous, this antique bracelet is rare and fascinating, both for its composition and its miraculous condition. The three roses that look like carved angelskin coral are actually of a very early plastic -- most likely Zylonite (sometimes spelled Xylonite), a form of what we came to call celluloid. Technically all the variants are cellulose nitrate, a notably delicate substance, and yet these intricately formed flowers remain perfect after more than a century! The gilt brass metalwork -- stunningly engraved, adorned with applied foliate details and rich with time's patina -- is in superlative shape, too. This bracelet must not only have worn very little, but also stored with the utmost care.
Based on indications like the type of catch, the slightly oval shape and the Victorian style, this bracelet could have been made as early as the 1870s and almost certainly is no younger than the 1880s.
Its origin is most likely English, since the firm known to be producing this lovely faux-coral from around 1870 was the British Xylonite Company. They did have a licensee in Massachusetts, The American Zylonite Company, but only in the 1880s.
The only flaw I can find is that there was probably a safety chain, since two tiny triangular loops are positioned to hold one. The catch is quite secure, but you or your jeweler can easily add a bit of chain, if you want to.
Hinged, the bracelet opens wide and it's sized for an average wrist, up to about 7 inches. (If it weren't too big for me, I'd keep it.) Provenance is a West Coast estate.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail erinharris@comcast.net to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Antique Czech Diamond and Aquamarine Paste Necklace
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Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Rhinestone:
Pre 1920 item# 721153
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you! $140
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The "Czecho" signature on this gorgeous antique necklace lets us date it quite precisely to the first years of the Czech Republic (between 1918 and the early 1920s). The region was previously known as Bohemia, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until World War I ended, and Bohemian glass has been prized from medieval times. The beautiful old pastes here certainly live up to the area's reputation -- all of them still gleaming brightly after nearly 100 years, including three dainty ones set into the clasp.
Although the dating is technically transitional, falling between the death of King Edward and the period dominated by Art Deco style, the necklace is extremely Edwardian in spirit: delicate and refined. The Edwardians loved an icy white-on-white look, accented by pastels (as opposed to the strong colors used later in the 1920s) and they adored dangling drops and droplets, as well as the graceful drape of articulated mountings like these. Each diamond paste is prong-set within its own frame that moves freely.
Fourteen and a half inches long, a little more than choker length, the necklace reached us from a New York estate in lovely condition, as you see. The only flaw I've found is age-appropriate surface wear on the back, where white metal plating covers underlying brass. This is hard to notice without high magnification and wouldn't been seen at all when the necklace is on.
Thanks for looking!
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Fascinating German Art Deco Brooch and Earrings Set
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Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Rhinestone:
Pre 1930 item# 720774
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you! $160.
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Here's a truly exciting antique demi-parure from "Cabaret"-era Germany. There's something marvelously wicked about roses in the colors of midnight moonlight, each holding a brilliant rhinestone dewdrop -- and there's something quite magical about the fact that they weigh no more than a breeze. They're of aluminum enameled in matte black, and the ornately stamped petal edges glitter with mock-marcasites.
This spectacular, highly dimensional set is a triumph of doing much with little, and you'll remember that extremely hard times befell Germany after World War I, due to the savage terms of the Versailles Treaty (which unfortunately contributed to Hitler's rise). Obviously, not much jewelry was made there in the Deco era -- or even in later Retro times, when materials were devoted to another war effort. Their rarity makes these pieces all the more special -- and there's extra poignance in the fact that they seem to have been worn very little, if at all, suggesting that the original owner didn't survive the next war (or at least had to leave them behind in the chaos). That they're marked "Made in Germany" means they can't possibly be post-WWII, when the country was divided into East and West, nor did Germany export to English-speaking markets after war broke out, so common sense and the Deco styling tie the set firmly to the 1920s or early 1930s.
Somehow it reached an estate in the Upper Midwest and from there came to us. The brooch is about 2 inches round and the earrings are about 1.25 inches round. Condition, as you see, is pristine. I love how perfectly these jewels evoke a brief but momentous period of European history and hope you will, too!
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail erinharris@comcast.net to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Beautiful Edwardian Garland Style Suffragette Earrings
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Archives:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Edwardian:
Pre 1920 item# 706982
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you! $145
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These are easily the loveliest Suffragette earrings we've ever had the opportunity to offer, featuring an airy openwork setting that screams Garland Style. This was essentially a fit of neo-classicism, thrown in reaction to the excesses of Art Nouveau. Cartier was the movement's first exemplar around 1900. It had only a brief heyday, unfortunately, since World War I changed the mood entirely (leading to the dominance of sleek, modernistic Art Deco forms).
Garland Style jewels have a refined and delicately lacy look, employing decorative elements used in the late 18th century (and, long before then, in real classical times). This half-wreath of precisely detailed leaves and tendrils is a pretty example -- the sort of pattern we see often as inlay in Georgian and later Edwardian furniture -- but here it takes on what was then a very modern touch: stones in Suffragette colors!
As you know if you collect Suffragette jewelry, the unusual combination of green, purple and white had deep meaning for early feminists. For them, green represented hope, purple signified dignity and white stood for purity. The language we associate with "regard" jewelry applied, too: The "G" of green, "W" of white and "V" of violet comprised an abbreviation for Give Women (the) Vote. All this seems cryptic now, but was clearly understood by everyone in an era when messages were also communicated by which flowers you sent, how you held your fan and which corner of a calling card you folded down, if any. The wealthiest suffragettes mixed amethysts and pearls or diamonds with green stones such as emeralds or peridots, but pretend gems were naturally favored by the majority.
In this case, we have faux jade of beautifully marbled early plastic (probably Galalith, invented in the 1890s) plus amethyst pastes and faux pearls. Everything remains in wonderful condition, including the gilding. It takes high magnification to notice any surface wear at all. That isn't unusual, since Suffragette jewels were worn only occasionally (most notably, when marching for the vote). To the Suffragettes' efforts through many decades in the U.K. and U.S., we modern women owe that right, which was finally extended to all American women in 1920 and to all in Great Britain in 1928.
Tucked away and forgotten for decades, Suffragette jewelry has been rapidly gaining value since the movie "Iron Jawed Angels" appeared in 2004, revealing what the gals went through (including hunger strikes and beatings). Wearing Suffragette jewels is a great way to show your pride and appreciation and, now that the genre has been rediscovered, they're getting much harder to find. We try our best to maintain a good selection, but demand keeps growing. If these earrings strike your fancy, you'd better not delay. They date from circa 1905 - 1915 and reached us from a San Francisco estate. The have screw fasteners right for the period and could have been made by an East Coast firm in America, although the quality of the stones suggests origin in Bohemia or France.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping and gift wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail erinharris@comcast.net to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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1920s Art Deco Jeweled Suffragette Earrings
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Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Rhinestone:
Pre 1930 item# 706912
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
Sold; thank you! $135.
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When green, violet and white appear together on historic jewelry, this unusual color combination typically signifies that the piece was first owned by a member of the Suffragette movement -- for whom green represented hope, purple signified dignity and white stood for purity. The language we associate with "regard" jewelry applied, too: The "G" of green, "W" of white and "V" of violet comprised an abbreviation for Give Women (the) Vote. All this seems cryptic now, but was well understood by everyone in the days when messages were also communicated by which flowers you sent, how you held your fan and which corner of a calling card you folded down, if any.
To the Suffragettes' efforts through many decades in the U.K. and U.S., we modern women owe our right to vote. That right was finally extended to all American women in 1920 and to all in Great Britain in 1928. Thus, although most of the jewelry is Victorian, Edwardian or transitional, some dates from the Art Deco era.
These spectacular earrings were among the last examples, dating from the 1920s. By American 75-year standards, they're already antique, not just vintage. Richly embellished with faux pearls, amethysts and beautifully marbled jade(probably Czech), the earrings are highly dimensional and of excellent quality, with a nice heft. Each measures about 1 inch by 1 1/4 inches. The gilt metal features lattice-like detail and cutwork and its color is prettily patinated by age, not brassy. Based on dating, they were most likely made in England (although they could be American, produced in celebration of the Suffragettes' recent triumph here). Condition of the earrings is lovely and the original screw backs are present. Interestingly, we had this same design once before, but with lavender jades as the central stones and accents of emerald and pearl. It's beautiful, either way.
Suffragette jewelry has been rapidly gaining value since the movie "Iron Jawed Angels" appeared in 2004, revealing what those gals went through (including hunger strikes and beatings). Wearing Suffragette jewels is a great way to show your pride and appreciation and, now that the genre has been rediscovered, they're getting much harder to find. These reached us from an East Coast estate.
Thanks for looking!
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