Catalog: Estate Jewelry (157)

This unusual enameled sterling pendant comes out of the Arts & Crafts movement, roughly 1880-1920 (it can be argued that it still continues!) The enamel colors are associated with the women’s suffrage movement in the UK: green (Give), white (Women the), and violet (Vote) – or at least, that’s the story! The free-standing wire work (so unusual!) interlaces around the body of the piece, and holds an oval of mother-of-pearl in place. Also unusual is the use of some brown enamel...

This plique a jour pendant is centered with an oval white opal and accented with eight colorless brilliants. The dropper is a fresh water pearl. The translucent enamel is an unusual and lovely blue in color. Plique a jour, that unusual, difficult, and beautiful technique, dates from the 15th century. It was used by Cellini, then revived in the late 1800s in France. The metal frame in this lovely piece is 900 silver, suggesting that the piece is most likely German or Austrian in origin...

This Art Nouveau lavalier is green and cream colored enamel on 10 karat gold. It is set with six seed pearls; the dropper is a 'potato' pearl. The lavalier is 3/4" X 3/4" in size and comes with an 18" 14 k gold chain. Circa 1895.

This is one of our very favorite lavaliers! It is quintessential Art Nouveau. It depicts a flower with an amethyst at its center, with the classic whiplash motif. The central amethyst weighs approximately 1/2 carat, and it’s accented by 28 seed pearls. Feng Shui practitioners believe amethysts aid in purification, and give access to a higher plane of energy. It tests as 14k, and the gold is that lovely subtle old gold color. It weighs 3.3g and measures 1” x 1” at the widest points...

This yellow gold double-cluster ring is composed of a cluster of rubies centered by a diamond, and a cluster of pearls centered by a ruby. In the center of each is a 6-pointed star motif in gold. Pearl is the birthstone for June, ruby is the birthstone for July. The ring is hallmarked for Birmingham, England, 15 karat gold (“15ct”), a date mark for 1877, and a maker’s mark for “P&E”. Size 7-1/2. One of the pearls may be a replacement, and one pearl prong is missing...

The front of this locket features a lovely Egyptian girl or woman – or perhaps a goddess! - in profile, wearing a headdress (from which a few locks of hair have escaped – so charming!), and hoop earrings. She is nestled within a crescent moon (symbolic of the female principal, intuition, and new beginnings). Inside it has both photo rings, but no celluloid. That can easily be fixed with plastic, if desired. Unusually large, it measures 1-5/8”, and weighs .77 ounce...

The typically Art Nouveau curves of this elegant lavalier are set with seed pearls to accent their lavish beauty. The lavalier holds a large central ametyst—February’s birthstone!—and has an amethyst dropper. The delicate bale is set with more pearls. The lavalier is made of 9 ct gold and is 1 1/8" by 1 1/2" plus the bale. Circa 1900. The 14 k gold 16" chain is new.

This lovely pendant is beautiful, antique, European, and signed by a famous but mysterious maker--can it get any better? The Art Nouveau movement revolutionized art and design in the late 1890s and early 1900s across continents. In Germany, the style was called Jugend Stil—Young Style, and many of the better known jewelry makers congregated in Pforzheim...

This graceful festoon or garland necklace features seed pearls set in 10kt yellow gold, with pearls included in the draping chains, and a pearl dangle. Perfect for a bride, bridesmaid, or really anyone wishing for an elegant necklace for any occasion! The whole thing measures 14-5/8” (we have gold necklace extenders if needed). The decorated section measures 1-1/4” x 3/4” including the dangle. It is in very good antique condition...

This sweet little lavalier is centered by a blue sapphire cabochon within an Art Nouveau framework of 14kt yellow gold. Above is a pearl. It was made by the well known Whiteside & Blank company of Newark, NJ, and stamped “14”. When we found it, it was a ring that had been made from a stickpin, so we felt free to remake it into a lavalier (it didn’t work very well as a ring). It measures just under 1 inch from the top of the bail by 1/2” at the widest point. Circa 1900...

We found this sweet pair of earrings in London, England. Rubies symbolize love and immortality. Pearls symbolize purity and harmony. What a perfect combination for these pretty earrings! They test as 10kt gold, although they are marked 375 for 9kt (this often happens in older jewelry). The hanging flower basket motif is quite charming...

This maple leave pin consists of plique a jour enamel in a sterling silver setting. This lovely pin is highlighted with paste accent stones along the main leaf veins. The green plique is a very nice rich color. The pin seems to be missing one leaf, however, someone filled in the space with a pretty drop made of green agate, so the loss is hardly noticeable. It is centered by a faux pearl. The enamel itself is in good shape, with only a few hairline cracks - normal in all but the very best pieces...

This fascinating ring consists of strands of rose gold tied in a knot, and studded with gold spheres. One sphere is missing, which makes it interestingly asymmetrical. The decorated area measures 5/8 x 1/2” and the shank measures 3/16”. The ring has a maker’s mark (“J.M”), the anchor for Birmingham, the date mark for 1903-4, “9”, and “375”, however it tests as 10k (That is not unusual). It’s approximately size 7 (it could be sized), and weighs 5.2g. In places the gold looks y...

This colorful brooch depicts a red poppy in full bloom, with green leaves and buds. It was made by the well-known Bippart Griscomb & Osborn Company of Newark, New Jersey. It is also stamped for “14k”. Measuring 1” x 1-1/4”, it has the long pin stem often found on antique jewels. There is an interestingly-shaped freshwater pearl mounted at the top, and another dangling below. Poppies have symbolized peace, sleep (remember Dorothy crossing the poppy field in The Wizard of Oz?), and resurre...

This yellow gold necklace is centered by a dark red garnet (probably a spessartite). Garnets are the birthstone for January, and were traditionally thought to keep travelers safe. The dangle is set with a blister pearl which has a mellow off-white color. There are 3 tiny seed pearls in the main setting. It is hallmarked “9ct”, and the attached chain is marked “375 9k.” The pendant measures 1-5/16" x 7/8", and the total wearable length is 16-3/4" (we have extenders available). The piece i...

This classic jewel consists of a circle of gold, enameled in cobalt blue, with gold highlights. A 3-looped bow is interlaced through it, decorated with tiny seed pearls, as are the bail and dropper. There are a couple very minor flaws in the enamel - invisible without magnification. It is stamped for 15kt gold, and the gold has that lovely rich color we rarely see these days. There is a place on the back where it looks as though someone made a repair, but of course it’s not visible when worn. ...

This striking lavalier is centered by a light purple amethyst (traditionally good for maintaining clarity of mind), framed by rose gold panels which are a mix of Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts in style. It has a pearl dangle with good luster, which is interestingly off-round. Measuring 1-5/8” including the pearl but not the jump ring, by 7/8”. The amethyst measures 3/8” x ¼”. It is marked “9ct” but tests as 10k (this is not unusual). It weighs 2.1g and is in excellent antique condi...

This is one of our very favorite pieces: a striking Jugendstil (Germany and Austria’s Arts & Crafts) pendant which is enameled in white and purple. It is made from 900 silver (a bit less fine than sterling), and centered by a lovely oval amethyst which is flanked above and below by tiny seed pearls. There is a pearl dangle (which we added, as the original was missing) below an arc of milgrained metal. It measures 1-1/2” x 7/8” and weighs 4.7g. In overall excellent condition; there is an ar...