Catalog: Estate Jewelry (157)

This beautiful pendant features a circle of 6 ginkgo leaves radiating out from a diamond center, with seed pearls in between. The enamel is detailed and subtle. It is both a pendant and a brooch. The bale is on a swivel; it folds down neatly so that it’s invisible when worn as a brooch. Unmarked but tested 14k rose gold, about 33 pearls, and an approximately .02 full cut old diamond, very slightly chipped (not visible without magnification)...

Here is a fascinating Georgian-era ring, possibly a mourning ring, which could have been worn by one of Jane Austen’s more affluent characters. It features a rose-cut diamond (pointed top instead of flat), set in 14kt gold with decorations in black enamel on the shank, which are still in excellent condition. The ring is approximately size 5. It isn’t possible to estimate the weight of rose cut diamonds in a setting. It is in the I range for clarity – normal for its time. Unmarked...

This detailed and beautiful festoon or garland necklace features a winged heart, which is symbolic of love and openness. The heart is enameled in green with orange highlights, and the heart and the wings are set with seed pearls. Above are curlicues of gold, and below is a (tested) diamond dropper. It’s got a faint 10k mark on the back, but tests as 14k (this is not unusual). The spring ring is marked Gold Filled, but the chain tests for 14k, so it’s probably a replacement...

This fantastic jewel tests as a very strong 14kt, so it’s likely a 15kt English piece. It is set with what we are pretty sure is an iolite (hard to test because of the setting), and 4 pear-shaped purple garnets, all foiled, all set within an Etruscan Revival motif of coiling snake-like decorated gold ropes and leaves, with two dangling gold chains. The brooch measures 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 3/4" deep and weighs 8.7g. With the chains, the whole piece measures 2-1/2” long...

This piece is stunning! Some marriages are made in Heaven, and this is one. This brooch is a marriage of three Victorian elements: the bar pin with six diamonds, the enamel bow, and the heart-shaped enamel slide. The bow and slide appear to have been part of the same piece. The pin is 12 k gold, and the bow and slide 18 k. The bar pin is 1 3/4" long.

This fabulous Art Nouveau/ Edwardian necklace would be perfect for a bride … or anyone, really, at any time! The “wow” factor is huge! It measures 1-1/4” at the widest point, and from the top-most diamond to the bottom of the dropper it is 2-1/4”. The dropper is a river or “dogtooth” pearl, 11/16” long, which has a collar of gold around it, set with 3 Old European cut diamonds, and swirls of gold holding 4 more little pearls...

This necklace has all of the wow factor you expect from French jewelry. It is 18k gold (of course) open-work, with two palmate elements on each side. They join in a filigree-like round element that suspends a fifth, larger palmate element. The elaborate chain consists of marquise-shaped filigree links. The French eagle mark, indicating both French origin and 18 k gold, is on the clasp. The necklace is a generous 17 1/2" long...

Here is a fabulous and very unusual swag/festoon/garland necklace, with several amethysts and many seed pearls! The rigid cross piece has a chain running above it, through loops over 5 oval amethysts with very nice color, each set into an inverted heart-shaped framework, and separated from the next by a tiny pearl. Set below each amethyst is a seed pearl, and below the framework are draping chain garlands, the central five each having a freshwater pearl dangle...

This English jewel reflects the aesthetics of fin de siècle France and Russia, with its pink topazes and demantoid garnets. The fairly large oval topazes are surrounded by swirls of seed-pearl-set gold, and set off by 4 bright green demantoid garnets, two of which are set into the fine chains which connect the top section to the bottom; of the other two, the top one is a modified pear shape, the other is oval. The jewel measures 2” long by 1-1/8” across at the widest point, and weighs 5.4g...

This lovely garland or festoon necklace is from the Edwardian/Art Nouveau era. It is pictured in Vivienne Becker’s excellent book “Art Nouveau Jewelry” on page 185. She describes it as having “festoons of gold chain in the Edwardian manner, set with peridots, and decorated with shaded satin enamel, c. 1900.” It is unmarked, but tests as 14k gold...

Here is an interesting portrait in silver, of a wind-swept young person clad in a cloak and hood. It’s very detailed and just lovely. We think it’s a boy (very unusual in jewelry), as the hair seems to be quite short under the hood. The hood itself looks like a cap made from a flower, as seen on fairies in Victorian children’s books...

An image of a crowned queen graces the front of this antique locket. Her crown has a row of 7 tiny single-cut diamonds, and one slightly larger full-cut diamond at the top. Her hair cascades down to her shoulder, and gold disks hang from the crown. There is a tiny dent at about cheek bone height. The back has a monogram, perhaps an S, and has several little dents, which are highly exaggerated in the photos. The rose gold (it was very hard to photograph the color accurately) tests at about 12k. I...

This is one of our very favorite rings. It would make a lovely engagement ring for a woman who wants something a bit different, and the green & red stones make it great for St. Patrick’s, Christmas, or really any time at all! The central diamond is approximately 20 points (1/5 of a carat, but looks bigger), and is set in platinum. The rest of the setting is made of unmarked but tested 14k gold of a lovely rich yellow. There are 4 tiny rubies and 3 tiny green demantoid garnets. It’s very hard...