Spectacular Sterling Serpents Ring Circa 1930 Size 8
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Period:
Pre 1940 item# 938993
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
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$110
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Rings and bracelets with snake motifs have been prized since before recorded history, associated not with danger but with good fortune, health and eternal life. The jewels gained new heights of popularity in the mid-19th century, when Queen Victoria chose the form for the wedding ring that symbolized her endless love for Prince Albert.
The example here isn't the typical simple circle, but a bewitching coil of intertwined serpents that has a late 19th century Art Nouveau look. However, the 925 mark argues for a somewhat later dating. (The mark "Sterling" or no mark at all was more common before 1930.) I don't believe it can be much later than that, if at all, based on age-appropriate surface wear and slight thinning of the shank's back.
The ring appears to be hand-made, probably sand-cast, and is about an inch tall at its highest. That it's about a US size 8 makes me think it may have been crafted for a man. Certainly it could be worn beautifully by either a man or a woman and would be quite easy to resize.
If you enjoy unusual silver rings and/or are a collector of serpents jewels in general, this beauty from a West Coast estate is for you!
There's no charge for insured U.S. Priority 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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Vintage Bracelet of Silver Filigree Floral Crosses
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Period:
Pre 1940 item# 509973
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
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$55 SALE
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Airy filigree feels almost weightless on the wrist, and yet this bracelet will add tons of style to any outfit. Each of its six linked panels is slightly domed and formed in the dramatic shape of a cross pattée (often confused with a Maltese cross and also associated with the Knights Templar and other Crusader groups and states). Very interestingly, the crosses can also be read as flowers surrounded by four petals of openwork. The linked panels are nicely large, measuring about 1 1/4 by 7/8 inches, and the total length is abundant: 7 1/4 inches in filigree and nearly 8 inches, counting the clasp. It would fit just about any wrist and, if you need it shorter, a smaller clasp would do the job.
The bracelet was sold to us as Victorian and it might be, based on the "spun silver" look and the fact that the floral centered are crowned with actual wire -- a rarity after machine methods were introduced in the 19th century. Contrary to popular belief, virtually all 20th century filigree was pierced and stamped from die-struck components (and, more recently, cast to eliminate a lot of handwork). In the absence of the original clasp, which has been replaced by a modern one, the bracelet can't be firmly pronounced an antique, so I'm calling it Victorian Revival circa 1930s. The central blossoms were gilded and most of that finish is gone, but I believe this resulted from cleaning, because the rest of the bracelet shows so little wear. (Never use a silver polish on vermeil, only a cloth marked "safe for gold".) The silver metal here is quite sturdy and without tarnish, so is most likely rhodium, a member of the platinum family and a great favorite in the Art Deco era.
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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c1960 Vintage Sterling Charm Bracelet, 13 Silver Charms
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Period:
Pre 1970 item# 408766
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
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$165
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This 7-inch sterling bracelet has double links, so is quite heavy and sturdy. On it is a delightful assortment of 13 charms from the 1950s and 1960s, most hallmarked sterling. Included are a flute, a baton with silver wire trim, a musical clef, a fancy tooled saddle, a cute telephone with a pierced dial that turns, a megaphone with a black enamel letter D, a puffy heart with an engraved star, a Junior Classics League (Latin Club) medallion, a Chinese character of unknown meaning (unmarked), a graduation mortarboard hat and diploma, two wedding bells, a Southern Methodist University medallion with black, blue and red enamel and, last but not least, a large sterling disc with an applied turquoise and silver medallion, which I understand was the face of a child's ring bought at Carlsbad Caverns in 1956.
This bracelet is in lovely condition, having no doubt been packed away for many years, unworn. It takes high magnification even to see signs of wear on the spring-ring clasp. Provenance is a New Mexico collection.
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Romantic 1960s Waterlily Enameled Sterling Earrings
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Silver:
Period:
Pre 1970 item# 153080
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
Phone: 505.205.1404
At auction to benefit Netroots Nation
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These ultra-feminine vintage dangle earrings feature exquisite enamelwork reminiscent of Monet's waterlily paintings (the famed "Nympheas" series). Exquisitely colored in jewel-like hues of blue, green, amber and coral, the earrings show the slight variations in enamel application that demonstrate hand-workmanship.
Probable dating would be late 1960s, based on their neo-Romantic style and the shape of the earwires (which appear original). This is exactly the look hippie girls loved -- and I should know!
The only mark is 925 for sterling. Provenance is a New York estate and condition is extremely nice. I found just one tiny flawed area in the enamel, virtually invisible without a loupe, and only slight surface wear even on the reverses. Overall length is about 1 1/2 inches. The stationary drops, measuring about 1" x 5/8", are suspended from simple and sturdy wire hooks; anything more would be, so to speak, gilding the "lily".
Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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