Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Silver (46)

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...

This pretty navette-shaped pin is from the Arts & Crafts era. It measures 2-1/8 x 7/16”. It has a leaf and berry motif, centered by a deep purple amethyst. (Amethysts are thought to bring calmness and clarity to the mind.) It is marked STERLING, and the pin-stem assembly is original. The silver has a nice patina. In excellent condition, and circa 1900. The photos are part of the description; please examine them carefully. Thanks! We do lay-away...

This beautiful old miniature depicts a lovely lady, hand painted, in an asymmetrical frame set with seed pearls. It is a watch pin, meaning that there is a hook on the back (invisible from the front) for hanging a dainty watch or some other dangle – or not, if you don’t wish it. It measures 1-3/8 x 1-1/4”. It is unmarked, but has a French/Art Nouveau flavor, and tests 90-100% silver...

This fascinating reliquary locket depicts a saint, probably St. Peter, holding a key (to the church? Or perhaps to heaven?), with a dove in the background. On the other side is a photograph of an ecclesiastical-looking person. It contains a touched relic (a bit of ribbon which has been touched to a saint’s bone or something worn by a saint); a tiny metal medal with Mary on one side, saying "Mary conceived without sin” and more Christian imagery on the other; and a wisp of cotton...

These beautiful sterling silver cufflinks are marked for Unger Bros and sterling. The flower-patterned ovals are linked by chain and are the epitome of Art Nouveau. One oval, darn it, is a plain replacement. Each oval is 7/8" x 3/4". Circa 1910.

These fun collar tips feature an Art Nouveau-style design of a lady (or possibly a fairy?) in profile with flowers in her hair. She looks very serene. They are silver plated, and the mounts are made out of white metal. They are in good used condition, and we believe they’re vintage. Measuring 1-3/8” x 1-1/8”, they weigh 18.5g. The photos are part of the description; please examine them carefully. Thanks! Shipping, handling & insurance within the USA included.

This pretty pin features an oval purple cabochon, possibly amethyst, possibly glass (it’s hard to get a reading on this stone), centered between two hammered silver leaves (very A&C in style), all in a very Art Nouveau framework. Marked “DEPOS” (probably meant to be “DEPOSE”, which translates roughly as “patented”), it is probably from Germany. There are two illegible marks, one on the C-clasp, and one on the back. It tests as silver, measures 1-3/4” x 3/4", and weighs 4.4 g...

An antique pin with a modern vibe. This charming Arts & Crafts is made of sterling silver that has been enameled in artfully shaded blue to chartreuse to look like the wings of a stylized moth. A mother-of-pearl oval centers the body, and there is a small faceted green 'stone' (possibly glass) at the head. The pin is 1 ½ by 3/4 inches in size, not including the small spherical dropper which is enameled in a rich blue. The pin is circa 1900.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Victorian tastes and habits dominated, with subdued colors, mourning jewelry, and general strictness. The Arts & Crafts Movement reacted to this and gathered strength from a number of world events. Jewelry designers and crafters found inspiration in the Far East and the Victorian interest in mechanization gave them new techniques...

Good things come in small packages. This charming pin is small but beautiful. It is made of 800 silver, enameled on both front and back, and centered with a square-cut peridot. The pin is 3/4" in diameter. Enamel is slightly worn on the front, but is in better condition on the back. There is a small chip in the stone...

This is one of our favorite pins! The colors are so pretty, and the leafy design is so very Arts & Crafts-y! It has a berry and leaf motif, highlighted by a central cushion-cut cabochon blue chalcedony (thought to bring good luck), with a round green aventurine cabochon on either side. Measuring 1-1/4” x 3/8", it is unmarked but tests as silver. It is in excellent condition, although the pin is a little bent (pretty typical for these old pieces)...

This beautiful pendant is straight out of the Arts & Crafts movement; it’s very much in the style of Horner, but it’s unsigned. It is enameled in an intense blue with areas of a much lighter blue. The dropper shades from a pale green through a lighter blue into an intense blue, echoing the color of the main part of the pendant. The back is marked “sterling silver”, and the dropper is marked “silver”...

This brooch or pin is in the shape of a bow, made from blue and turquoise plique a jour (translucent) enamel with twisted wire work running through it. (The colors in the photographs may be deceptive, depending on your computer monitor). The enamel over the wire spirals is turquoise, and the rest is a medium blue. “Plique a jour” translates roughly as “light of day.” Measuring 1-1/4” x 7/8", it weighs 3.1g. On the back it is marked with “800” for silver content, and an illegible (m...

This beautiful unsigned ring has been attributed to Bernard Instone, one of the well-known Arts & Crafts era jewelers, who frequently didn’t sign his pieces. He often used leaves-as-prongs for setting stones, and as was often the way in the A&C movement, he didn’t use costly stones nor gold, so he could keep his prices affordable. This ring is made from sterling silver and set with a blue-green “Swiss lapis” (dyed quartz) which measures approximately 3/4” x 9/16”. It is about size 5...

This brooch features an ancient Celtic design: two birds (probably swans) with enameled wings, bodies and eyes, with interlaced silver above and below. The enamel is in red, blue, green, and white. It is marked 925 for sterling silver, and has several other marks which are illegible. 1-1/2” X 1-1/4”. There are a couple places where the enamel isn’t quite perfect – please see photos. Probably a more recent casting of an older piece, and very pretty indeed! The photos are part of the desc...

Fit for a museum, this rare and wonderful Egyptian Revival pin has a portrait painted on porcelain. It is mounted in 800 silver and surrounded by 16 coral beads on wire. There have been some repairs [not visible from the front] as is so common in jewelry repaired in the 19th century. 1 1/4" diameter. Circa 1875.

This Victorian pin is a gorgeous Egyptian Revival design executed in plique a jour (translucent) enamel framed in gilded silver. The design is a noble vulture holding feathers with lotus blossoms in his (or her) talons. The vulture’s wings are detailed in both opaque and translucent enamels; the tops of the wings are opaque enamel in yellowish green, and the feathers are detailed in yellow-green plique a jour shading to burnt orange. The body of the vulture is a matching yellowish-green ‘sto...

This pretty lavalier/pendant is enameled on both sides - unusual for Arts & Crafts pieces. The front has a central panel in a beautiful peacock blue, and 2 outer panels in the shape of stylized hearts, in a darker blue. The back is sky-blue (a little worn at a few of the high points). There is a freshwater pearl drop. It weighs 2.1g and measures 1-5/8” from the top of the bail to the bottom of the pearl. It comes on a sterling chain (stamped “STERLING”) which is probably modern. In good bu...