 |
|
Home |
|
Ornate Antique Victorian Pearl Pendeloque Earrings browse these categories for related items... Directory: Estate Jewelry: Silver: Victorian: Pre 1900: Item # 816165 GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear 56 Calle Monte Aplanado, NW Albuquerque, NM 87120 Phone: 505.205.1404 Guest Book $635 SALE (Reduced from $885) Free delivery to any country where we ship (& gift-wrap if desired) |
|
|
On sale this month - think ahead to holiday gifting! These spectacular antique pearl earrings from an English estate dangle almost 2 inches below the ear and are highly dimensional. Minor variations between the two attest to hand-craftsmanship -- most likely in Spain or Portugal, where colorless gems were set almost exclusively in ornately worked silver. Jewels of this type were eagerly collected by British travelers to southern Europe. It's easy to imagine these earrings as a honeymoon gift for a young bride from her husband, who delighted in how the dangling drops gleamed and swayed as they strolled in the Mediterranean moonlight. Both upper and lower domed elements of the lovely setting twinkle with pyrites (mistakenly called marcasites, which are chemically the same but crystallize differently and are too soft to use as gems). The silverwork is thick, sculptural and lavished with beaded detail. Above, it's fashioned into leaves and, for the drops, into flower petals framing two sizeable, lustrous pearls. The stones were represented to me as natural sea pearls and I believe them to be, since pearls weren't cultured until around 1900. They seem to be full rounds, not halves, nestling into silver cups that protrude from the back. Probable dating of the earrings is no later than 1880, yet their condition is superb. Even the lever-back fasteners appear original. If they aren't, the earrings would have hung from wires and are probably even older. Pendeloque (pear-shaped) drop earrings have been with us since the late 18th century, retaining popularity throughout Victorian times, and the fully closed backs and other details of construction here are more Georgian than Victorian. The Georgian traditions did hang on longer in Spain and Portugal than elsewhere, though, so it's really impossible to be certain whether these are early or late 19th century. Because they were extremely tarnished, I broke my usual hands-off rule and gave them a light cleaning. With apologies to the purists among us, I'm awfully glad I did. They dazzle like the dickens now. We can't be precise about the silver content, but it's clearly very high. Please e-mail erinharris@comcast.net to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking! |
|
|
|||||||||
| Categories | Shops | Join | Terms | Critique | Map | Help | |||