Antique Edwardian Gilt Silver Lavalier w/ Pearl Drops
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Edwardian:
Pre 1910 item# 865566
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
$135
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Dainty lavalier pendants with one or more dangling drops, usually baroque pearls, are quintessentially Edwardian. Those with two drops that fall to different lengths are also called négligée pendants (a reference to the raffishly asymmetrical look, not to nightwear).
This is a particularly lovely and unusual example, being formed as a butterly and richly enameled. Enameled butterfly brooches were popular from Victorian times, but the motif isn't often seen on a necklace. Also remarkable is the fine condition of its enamelwork and gilding. It can't have been worn much and was stored with care.
Five vivid colors appear in the cloisonné enamelwork -- cobalt blue, violet, red, burgundy and green -- making this an accessory you can wear with almost anything. Since each shade requires separate firing, a great deal of work went into its creation. The gilded metal is hallmarked "silver" (rather than the later 925) and the pearls are real -- gritty when run against the front teeth, not smooth like glass or plastic. That they're suspended from fancy-link chains also signifies quality and age. No doubt there originally was a neck chain to match, but those tend to break or get lost over time. We include a contemporary vermeil chain. A bright ribbon would be another pretty option. Size is 3/4" wide and 1 3/4" long and provenance is a California estate.
Please e-mail erinharris@comcast.net to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Antique Edwardian Sterling Brooch with Goddess Intaglio
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Edwardian:
Pre 1910 item# 723454
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
$275.
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The frosty white-on-white look captured the height of Edwardian refinement a hundred years ago, during the last great period of hand-made jewelry. Not coincidentally, the Arts and Crafts movement had flourished for several decades by then, promoting excellence of design and workmanship, along with an artistic approach to selecting materials. This led, in Edwardian times, to a passion for carved crystal and to creation of exquisite medallions like the one featured here: a likeness of the goddess Athena, intricately worked from the back into a disc of iridescent glass with the hypnotic sheen of opal.
The subject of the intaglio -- the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, generally shown in a helmet -- reminds us that Neo-Classicism was another strong element of Edwardian taste. In this, they took inspiration from Georgian and Regency examples. While classical subjects weren't abandoned during Victoria's long reign, they were executed on a grander scale and in a more florid manner than suited the Edwardian spirit of restrained connoisseurship.
Eighteenth-century influence is also apparent here in the metalwork's form, which suggests a Chippendale lattice pattern. That it's marked only "Sterling" -- rather than with figural stamps typical of European silver -- makes American origin likely. However, the superb intaglio is almost certainly Bohemian, French or Italian. The carving rests in a simple bezel setting, as was favored in the Arts and Crafts tradition.
In one interesting aspect, its size, this treasure shows the early 20th century exuberance that would flower in Art Deco days. It's the biggest jewel of bar brooch form that I've ever seen: 3.25 inches long! It fastens with an extremely sturdy pinstem and has the old open C clasp appropriate to its age. The pin would originally have been elongated past the edge of the brooch but, like most of those, it was shortened and filed to a new point at some time for safety's sake. Condition, as you see, as absolutely lovely; dating is circa 1905 and provenance is a New York 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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Exquisite Antique Edwardian Frosted Rock Crystal Pin
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Edwardian:
Pre 1920 item# 700857
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
$110 SALE (Reduced from $130)
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Jewels of this type are so lovely that they're often copied now -- and even the replicas are valuable -- but here we have the real thing, around 100 years old and yet in splendid condition. Even under high magnification, few signs of surface wear are apparent except on its reverse, which has the old open C clasp indicative of great age.
The marquise-shaped stone is carved at the back in a radiant sunburst pattern, topped with a glittering diamond paste and set in an elegant frame with beaded details and accents and prongs that suggest feather fans. The dazzling white-on-white look was a great favorite in the elegant Edwardian era and into early Art Deco years. We can tell this is an early example, because of its curvy form (as opposed to Deco's straight lines) and because it predates the safety catch introduced around 1920. Also, later variations were more often made of molded camphor glass than carved crystal. Since the metalwork shows no tarnish that would indicate silver, it's probably rhodium, a hard-wearing mineral in the platinum family. The pinstem is plated, revealing hints of brass beneath, as is typical of brooches from this era. Size is 1.5 by .75 inches and provenance is a Midwestern 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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