Catalog (174)

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 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. I have done a little bit of gentle cleaning of the seed pearls and the silver, but the new owner might choo...

This pretty crystal and sterling silver perfume bottle has a partial mark for Sterling (and it tests as sterling), and another partial mark: “…AXCO” for TAXCO. It measures 2” x 1-1/3”, and is in excellent condition. The photos are part of the description; please examine them carefully. Thanks! Shipping, handling & insurance within the USA included.

This interesting beetle stick pin harkens back to the Egyptian revivals (early 1800s, and then again in the 1920s). Perfect for your lapel, the beetle is in very good condition (the pin is slightly bent, as is usual with gold stick pins), and is set in unmarked but tested 14k rose gold. The beetle itself is 9/16” x 7/16” at the widest points, and is held firmly in place by 4 prongs. The whole thing is 2-3/4” long. The Victorians loved to use organic things in their jewelry, and this partic...

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 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. The central desig...

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. The pin stem assembly is al...

This fascinating brooch features poppies with lovely curved flowing lines, mounted on an oval of mother-of-pearl. Poppies symbolize sleep (Dorothy in the field of poppies, on her way to Oz), rest, and eternal life. The flower is silver plate, and is somewhat worn on the high places (those bits actually serve to highlight the design). The mother of pearl is convex. It measures 1-3/4” x 1-3/8”. The pin assembly is mounted on a yellow metal plaque, and is of the old style. It rattles a little b...

This is a classic “cigar band” ring from around the turn of the last century, and moving into the Edwardian era, often called a “gypsy” ring, made from richly-colored 18kt yellow gold. The center stone is a diamond, the outer two stones are rubies. It has decorative scroll work on the shoulders. The hallmarks are for Chester, England, 1903, and there is an illegible maker’s mark. It weighs 4.0g, and is approximately size 5. The shank is a little off round, and it’s possible that it w...

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. It is made of gold over ...

This elegant pin/pendant consists of an oval of onyx in a sterling frame. The bale tests as 14kt, the pin stem tests as 10k yellow gold In the center are inlaid gold stars, and along the periphery are inlaid flowers, most likely platinum. The frame is decorated with a silver twist, and a floral motif. It measures 1-15/16 x 1-5/8 inches, and weighs 25.9g. Circa 1880. There is some loss to a couple of the flowers, but it’s still a striking piece.

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 intriguing (and slightly strange!) pair of pins is from the Art Nouveau era. They feature a woman’s face flanked by flowers, and her hair is greenish – just a little scary! We have been unable to determine what the metal is, so assume it’s not precious. They measure 1-1/4” x 1/2”. The pin stem assemblies are old, but they may be replacements. Circa 1900. The photos are part of the description; please examine carefully. Thanks! Shipping, handling & insurance within the USA included...

This pretty ring consists of a flower made of six pearl “petals” (one of which is a replacement), centered by a tiny rose cut diamond. There is a compartment underneath, perhaps for storing a lock of hair, but no glass. The ring tests as a very strong 14kt, so it is probably 15kt (and therefore English). Cobalt blue enamel decorates the shoulders, which we’ve had touched up – this ring was obviously very well loved, and it’s still beautiful! Size 6. Early Victorian or late Georgian. We...

This elegant stickpin features a stylized flower design, based on a Japanese family crest. It is marked “k20” on the back, and tests as a very strong 20kt, so it might be finer. The flower head measures 1/2 x 7/8”, and the whole pin is 2-1/2” long. It weighs 2.4g. The pin is a little bent, not surprisingly given the high gold content (please see photos), and course that can’t be seen when it’s worn, and could easily be straightened. Otherwise in excellent condition. Circa 1900. Japan...

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...

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. It is centered by an oval peridot, has an accent diamond and several small pearls, also a dropper ending with another oval peridot (birthston...

We believe this lovely (unmarked but tested) 10kt gold jewel is from a time when cannetille work was the vogue because gold was scarce: very fine gold wires twisted into thin strands and then formed into rosettes and other shapes. The amethyst is a delicate shade of purple, and weighs approximately 2.5 carats – it’s very deep. (Amethysts are said to bring calm, and help banish headaches.) The whole lavalier, including the bale, measures 1-1/2 x 9/16”. Two of the seed pearls are missing but...