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Antique Art Deco Carved Shell Cameo Pendant
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Unsigned:
Pre 1930 item# 1114226
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$95 SALE. Was $125.
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This cameo, most likely from Italy, offers a nicely carved portrait of a lovely lady -- whose bobbed hair provides the Art Deco dating. Size is about 1.25 inches tall and very dimensional; there's a lot of depth to the shell.
Because this setting isn't worthy of her beauty, the piece is priced to allow for framing properly as a pendant, brooch or both. If the current mount were of hallmarked gold or silver, you could add easily $100 to the cost, which is bargain basement for any pretty, hand-carved cameo that's from the 1920s or older -- thus antique by American 75-year standards.
So that she'll be wearable until you get around to finding a new frame, we've added a vintage chain that's 20 inches long and a good match for the current bright brass setting.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping -- with an equivalent discount on international delivery -- and gift-wrap is always free when desired. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photographs. Thanks for looking!
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Huge Glitzy Antique Art Nouveau Flower Brooch
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Rhinestone:
Pre 1910 item# 1114141
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$145 SALE. Was $195.
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Big, bold brooches are popping up on the best shoulders this season. If you've been looking for one that will make all the rest pale by comparison, you've found it now!
This glittering monster is absolutely astounding: 3 1/2 inches tall, more than 2 inches wide, styled with so many swirls that the exotic flower seems to be dancing and paved all over with faceted pastes in vivid colors. Shades of green, citrine and cognac appear, as well as the red-orange dominant on the petals of what looks like a tiger lily or a parrot tulip.
It's quite a heavy jewel, given its size and the pot metal setting, so it benefits greatly from the presence of an early safety clasp. That may have been added later, probably when the elongated pinstem was snipped from even greater length. If the safety is original, dating can't be before this sort was invented in 1902. I think the brooch is somewhat older, though, based on the type of hinge and pinstem -- and, for the same reason, we can rule out its being a later Victorian Revival piece.
The brooch reached us from a Minnesota estate and in lovely condition, relative to age. There are a few areas of discoloration at the back and the pin is a bit wavy, but all the many stones are intact and it takes high magnification to notice even light surface wear anywhere on the side that shows.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping -- with an equivalent discount on international delivery -- and gift wrap is also free if desired. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Superb Art Nouveau Gilt and Pink Art Glass Buckle Set
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Unsigned:
Pre 1930 item# 1114126
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$115. (Free U.S. Shipping
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The opulence of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire is captured in this stunning buckle dating from Czechoslovakia's earliest years of independence, just after World War I. Because it's marked CZECHOSLOV on the fastener, it can't be older than 1918, but it’s unlikely to be much younger.
This is the lavish sort of jewel we'd expect to see on one of the beauties Klimt painted in Victorian and Edwardian times: It's ornately patterned with scrollwork, rope twists and millegrain details, richly gilded and wonderfully colorful, thanks to two radiant faux-moonstones of rosy pink art glass. To judge the quality of this piece, note the gilding on its reverses, untouched by time's patina. A good jeweler could restore the same brilliance to the front surfaces, although they're lovely as they are, and brighten the tiny areas on the collets where gold has worn away. Alternatively, for a quick at-home fix, you could just dab those little spots with gilding paste and seal them with clear nail lacquer. This is a minor flaw, hard to notice amid all the dazzle, but our price naturally reflects it.
Fastened, the buckle measures 3 inches by 1 1/4, and its brackets will hold a belt or sash up to 3/4 of an inch wide, or wider if gathered.
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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Big Antique Art Deco Enameled Egyptian Revival Earrings
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Unsigned:
Pre 1930 item# 1114038
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$135 SALE. Were $185.
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Most of us know the discovery of King Tut's tomb in the 1920s led to a craze for Egyptian-styled jewelry. Fewer are aware there were earlier Egyptian crazes: circa 1800, inspired by Napoleon's campaign in North Africa, and again in Victorian times, beginning with the 1860s opening of the Suez Canal. Furthermore, when Tut's treasures toured the world once more in the 1970s, it was "deja vu all over again." Because of this, you always have to look very carefully at jewels with an Egyptian motif, to determine when they were made.
These stunning gilt brass earrings are most likely from the 1920s, based on the depth of the patina, the extent of surface wear, the punchy Deco colors and of course the portrait of King Tut. The ear wires are obviously newish and the drops would have hung from screw fasteners originally. Very little wear is apparent to the naked eye -- they look absolutely fantastic -- but, under high magnification, minute losses of enamel and gilding can be found, more than you'd expect if they were recent.
Crafted on a very grand scale, these beauties measure a whopping two inches round and are highly dimensional. I've never seen a pair at all like them, so they're really quite special. Provenance is an East Coast estate.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping (with an equivalent discount on international delivery) 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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Rare and Ingenious VICTORY Shoe Clips Dated 1919
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Clips:
Pre 1920 item# 1114001
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$95. (Free U.S. Shipping
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Treasured by a lady who kicked up her heels celebrating the end of World War I, these VICTORY brand antique shoe buckles are truly fascinating pieces of the past. Being marked PAT 12/23/19 (presumably for their clever fastening mechanism), they're precisely dated to the transitional decade between Edwardian and Art Deco times (1910-1920). What came to be known as Deco design was gradually coming to the fore then, replacing organic curves with sleek geometry. Disparate design currents often intersected in this period. Here, the use of white metal and airy openwork are typically Edwardian, while the stylized bow motif anticipates Art Deco and its hammered texture evokes Arts and Crafts. And then we have borders embossed to resemble cut steel, which conjure up 19th century Victoriana -- as do the clips' large scale and black velvet lining (backed by beige twill).
Absolutely everything is going on style-wise -- besides which the fasteners are amazing! I finally figured out that you slide them down to make the clamps open; slide them back up the central post and they close resolutely on the shoes.
The clips measure 2.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall. Their condition is very good, with just a little lining lost, and provenance is a New Jersey 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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Fine Art Deco Shoeclips with Repoussé Beading
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Clips:
Pre 1930 item# 1113969
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$55 SALE. Were $85.
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Everything about these antique shoe clips says quality. They just don't make them like this anymore. The repoussé metalwork, formed to resemble cut steel, is so finely finished that the front surfaces feel silky -- and the backs actually have liners covered with silky fabric, as well as wonderfully sturdy clamps.
Despite their size -- a fairly gigantic 2.25 x 1.5 inches -- these clips can be worn as well by day as in the evening. They have an understated elegance, based on the orderly geometric embossing and their subtle pewter-like color.
Loads of life is left in these beauties. Other than minor age-appropriate wear to the fabric, the only flaw I can find is that the liners are a little loose (easily corrected with a bit of glue, if it bothers you). Probable dating would be early in the Art Deco period (1920-1925), since these bear a strong likeness to Edwardian shoe buckles.
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping (with an equivalent discount on international delivery). Beautiful gift-wrap is also free on request and, obviously, this would be a very romantic present. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos. Thanks for looking!
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Spectacular Art Deco Egyptian Revival Earrings
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Bakelite:
Pre 1940 item# 1113922
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$95 SALE. Were $115.
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Exceptional for their lavish detail and elegant gray-on-black coloration, these earrings are wonderfully dimensional, too. Notice how the lacy incised pattern of the carapace continues around all four sides of each chunky scarab. The silver metal overlays also wrap the earrings' tops. These are the torchlike lotus forms so typical of Egyptian design, here textured with tiny faux-marcasites and set with pretty faceted rhinestones (four per earring). The stones are obviously original, because their sparkle is far more subtle than today's glass.
For dating, the early clip backs suggest the end of the Art Deco era (circa 1935), but they could be older, since fasteners are easy to change. Whether from the late 1920s -- when discovery of Tut's tomb touched off a craze for all things Egyptian -- or the early 1930s, they're already antique by American 75-year standards. Their condition, as you see, is marvelous, with a surface that gleams both front and back.
Size is approximately 1 inch tall, .75 inch wide and .25 inch thick; provenance is a Pennsylvania estate; and the material is a sturdy plastic with good heft (Bakelite or similar, nothing flimsy). Black Bakelite often doesn't test positive, so I didn't want to risk this lovely finish by applying chemicals.
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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1890s Art Nouveau Lady Portrait Buckle, Clasp or Choker
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Unsigned:
Pre 1900 item# 1113820
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$195 SALE. Was $245. (Free U.S. Priority Shipping
& Gift-Wrap if Desired)
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This antique Victorian Art Nouveau buckle from a Philadelphia estate is one of the most remarkable I've ever seen -- not only drop-dead gorgeous, but in pristine condition after more than 100 years. It can be precisely dated to the 1890s from its patent mark: May 22, 94 (no doubt referring to the latch mechanism).
Apart from traces of age patina that remain in crevices after a prior owner polished it, this incredible jewel is like new. Of gilt copper, with its gilding still bright even on the reverse, it's worked in repoussé for exquisite dimensionality. Size is quite large: about 3 inches wide by 2 5/16 inches tall.
As you know if you collect Art Nouveau, authentic "lady portrait" pieces have become extremely hard to find and, accordingly, are soaring in value. You simply can't go wrong with an investment jewel like this.
To wear it, you can stitch it easily to any sash or scarf -- or to a wide ribbon as the centerpiece of a choker necklace. It could also be worn beautifully as a cape clasp.
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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Rare Modernist Peridot Earrings by Dodds c 1950
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Designer:
Pre 1960 item# 1113738
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$90 SALE. Was $120.
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Dodds jewelry is collectible for scarcity, as well as quality. It's in short supply, because the company operated for little more than a decade, mainly during the 1950s. The brand was known for fashion-forward design, fine craftsmanship and superior materials, sometimes including semi-precious stones.
These wonderfully dimensional earrings capture the Dodds look to perfection, with stylized leaf shapes so graceful that they suggest a breeze is blowing through their cutouts -- and, yes, those are chunks of real peridot sprinkled all over them! Mid-century discoveries in Brazil made peridots more affordable and their fresh apple green color tempted people eager to pamper themselves after the privations of the Depression and World War II. Adding still more texture and opulence, rows of faux pearls stud the leaves' stems like dewdrops.
The shimmering white metal mounts and clips are most likely of rhodium or chromium, both members of the hard-wearing platinum family.
As you see, these beauties are in superb condition; it takes high magnification to notice the very slight age-appropriate wear. They measure about an inch wide and a bit more than an inch long. Making them extra-special, the Dodds signature is quite clear. Dodds pieces weren't always signed and the mark, when present, isn't always legible.
Around 60 years old now, these will be antique before much longer, by American 75-year standards. So this is the time to get serious about collecting treasures from the 1950s, if you haven't already.
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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Pretty Vintage Carved Shell Cameo Earrings
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Costume:
Unsigned:
Pre 1940 item# 1113583
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GlitzQueen History and Art to Wear
505.205.1404
$65 SALE. Were $95.
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& Gift-Wrap, if Desired)
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Shell cameos, like pearls, are classics that always look elegant. If you collect vintage and antique examples, you know how much harder it is to find cameo earrings than brooches, necklaces and rings. Thus, we're fortunate in being able to offer these.
Every real cameo -- being hand-carved, not molded -- is one of a kind, so those set in any pair of earrings can vary substantially in form, color and even age. The cost for earrings rises tremendously, if both were made by the same craftsman from the same shell, with portraits that resemble each other. Here the cameos do show differences. One shell has a more intense background color than the other and our ladies are clearly not twins. Based on their hairstyles and the style of carving, they were probably produced a generation apart. Notice the curly flapper bob on the gal at right, while the one at left has her long hair swept back in the Late Victorian manner. It's fun to think of them as family, the elder pictured in youth during the 1880s or 1890s and her daughter or niece in the 1920s.
The oval rope-twist mountings of gilt brass have a Victorian look and screw backs of the sort favored by Edwardians, but most likely they're later than either cameo, dating from the 1930s or thereabouts. Measuring approximately 3/4" x 5/8", they fit both cameos well and the backs are open, as they should be to let light pass through the shells.
Condition of the cameos and metalwork is so good that they can't have been worn much. Provenance of the pair is a California estate. We're calling them vintage and pricing them accordingly, because the mounts seem a little too recent for antique designation. Both cameos, however, are antique by American 75-year standards
There's no charge for insured U.S. shipping (with an equivalent discount on international delivery) and gift-wrap is always free on request. Please e-mail to confirm availability, order or request more photos of this and/or our other cameo items. Thanks for looking!
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