New Victorian gold pendant

[glitterata]

I wanted to share my latest Victorian ebay find: a Victorian gold pendant with blue enamel and a seed pearl. I''m pretty sure it''s an earring that lost its mate, but it makes a nice, substantial pendant--it''s 2.5" long and .75" wide.

 

[Catmom]

Oh that''s sooooo cool! I love the little seed pearls. Could we possibly see a neck shot when you get it?

 

[Upgradable]

Wow!! Are the "tails" articulated?

 

[glitterata]

Dancing tassel:

 

[glitterata]

Close up. That''s not damage to the enamel, just grime. I''m not sure how to safely clean this little guy, since it''s hollow and pearls and enamel are delicate.

 

[glitterata]

Thanks, Michelle & Upgradable!

I actually have it now, but I''m terrible at taking pictures of my own neck. I''ll try to get DH to do it this evening.

I really wish I could find its mate, or another single Victorian earring of a similar size and shape. I like earrings better than pendants, and I don''t mind slightly mismatched pairs.

 

[Upgradable]

That is AMAZING!!!! Is it a locket? Does it open? Where do you find such incredible pieces???

 

[glitterata]

Thank you, Upgradable! It''s not a locket, just a pendant. Here it is with some pencils, for scale:

 

[glitterata]

(Continuing response to Upgradable...)

I'm pretty sure it would originally have come with its earring mate and a brooch that might have had a place for a hair memento. This closed ebay auction shows a similar set. It has a date engraved--1876--so that confirms my guess that my pendant was probably made in the 1870s or so.


This current auction has a pendant something like mine, with a hair memento in the back. I bet it was also an earring once. If I had a spare $600 lying around, I would buy it to see if it's a close enough match to mine. Needless to say, I didn't pay anything remotely like that for mine. I'm far too cheap!

To answer your question about where I find these things: I comb ebay obsessively for mislisted, badly photographed or unfashionable antique jewelry that I happen to recognize and love. I think I found this pendant listed among 1970s stuff. I also spend lots of time at flea markets & thrift shops. I find some great deals, but oh, the time I waste when I should be working!

 

[Upgradable]

Date: 1/12/2009 3:54:28 PM
Author: glitterata
(Continuing response to Upgradable...)

I''m pretty sure it would originally have come with its earring mate and a brooch that might have had a place for a hair memento. This closed ebay auction shows a similar set. It has a date engraved--1876--so that confirms my guess that my pendant was probably made in the 1870s or so.


This current auction has a pendant something like mine, with a hair memento in the back. I bet it was also an earring once. If I had a spare $600 lying around, I would buy it to see if it''s a close enough match to mine. Needless to say, I didn''t pay anything remotely like that for mine. I''m far too cheap!

To answer your question about where I find these things: I comb ebay obsessively for mislisted, badly photographed or unfashionable antique jewelry that I happen to recognize and love. I think I found this pendant listed among 1970s stuff. I also spend lots of time at flea markets & thrift shops. I find some great deals, but oh, the time I waste when I should be working!

So that''s YOU I keep bumping into!! I just won an auction for a little ring that I think was incredibly under-recognized. I''ll have to wait to get it to see. Gotta love those "hunches."

 

[glitterata]

This ebay auction for a fringe brooch and pendant like mine has also ended, but the reserve wasn''t met and I bet the seller will relist. They''re an excellent seller, though with high prices. The listing has lots of interesting info about this style of jewelry, including a portrait of a lady wearing a somewhat similar set, dated 1866. But I don''t agree that their brooch is earlier; I think it''s later. And I''m not sure I buy the stuff about Haley''s comet. And I think the pendant attached to their brooch is not original to the piece or even part of the same set--the enamel and pearl work looks too different to me. It seems to have had brooch fittings removed. My guess is that it was once an earring that lost its mate, someone in the 19th c. turned it into a brooch, and then someone turned it back into a pendant and attached it to the current brooch.

MUST STOP THINKING ABOUT JEWELRY... MUST DO WORK...

 

[glitterata]

Ooo, what''s your ring? Tell, tell!

Or maybe I should say, Show, show!

I recently won a Georgian memento mori ring! Absolutely genuine! Hallmarks and all! With a lock of hair AND a painted skull behind crystal! Beautiful condition! For less than $350! Only to have the seller email me that he''d sold it a few hours earlier to a bloke who offered him 550 pounds sterling, cash. Grrrrr. I stayed up really late, too, to bid--he was in England.

 

[Upgradable]

Glitterata, since I don't want to threadjack your beautiful pendant, I'm going to start a new thread about a pair of earrings I like. Would you please take a look and chime in?

Actually, I'll just post the link to the thread I started a while ago in Rocky Talk. Help with vintage earring?

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Oh gosh you always get the best loot!

cheers--Sharon

 

[glitterata]

Thank you, Sharon!

Neck shot for Michelle:

 

[glitterata]

One more.

 

[mochi]

Oh, I LOVE IT!!

It''s such a unusual piece, maks a statement!!

 

[Catmom]

Oh thank you for the neck shot. It looks gorgeous on! I originally thought that the side beads were seed pearls too but now I see in the close ups that they are gold beads. I love it as a pendant but it would be really cool if you could find it''s mate.

 

[glitterata]

Thank you, Mochi & Catmom!

 

[Upgradable]

AAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh...........

That is magnificent!!!! Wow, I love how it looks on you. A statement pendant like that can take a plain black top or dress and set the entire mood of the outfit!

 

[musey]

Oh wow, that is BEAUTIFUL!!

 

[Diamond*Dana]

It is beautiful, and so unique! Congratulations on your find!

 

[coatimundi_org]

Very cool!

 

[Miscka]

Wow! I loved the first pics, but it looks even more awesome on! Great find!

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 1/12/2009 2:50:06 PM
Author:glitterata
I wanted to share my latest Victorian ebay find: a Victorian gold pendant with blue enamel and a seed pearl. I''m pretty sure it''s an earring that lost its mate, but it makes a nice, substantial pendant--it''s 2.5'' long and .75'' wide.

oh my my!What a pretty little 19th century bauble!What a great find!...Glitter, your era dating is pretty much on in my opinion...yellow gold,fringed,enameled and seed pearl inlayed are ear marks of jewelry suits from the late civil war period(earliest) to the mid- 1880s(latest)for this romantic era jewelry....im glad you rescued this piece and giving it a new home.You always have a great eye for finding past treasures!So sorry that you missed out on the ring!Dont worry...you find something else...there is always another piece...just keep hunting!Take it from an old hunter ...its never a waste of time...my first find...a yellow gold edwardian link chain(stamped with english hallmarks) at an outdoor flee market in Wyoming for $1.00...I wore it for third grade picture day with a paisley shirt.

 

[glitterata]

Date: 1/13/2009 9:46:36 PM
Author: jewelerman

my first find...a yellow gold edwardian link chain(stamped with english hallmarks) at an outdoor flee market in Wyoming for $1.00...I wore it for third grade picture day with a paisley shirt.

Jewelrman, that's the cutest thing ever! Can you post the picture?

 

[AmberGretchen]

Stunning! What a cool find

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 1/14/2009 12:35:49 AM
Author: glitterata

Date: 1/13/2009 9:46:36 PM
Author: jewelerman

my first find...a yellow gold edwardian link chain(stamped with english hallmarks) at an outdoor flee market in Wyoming for $1.00...I wore it for third grade picture day with a paisley shirt.

Jewelrman, that''s the cutest thing ever! Can you post the picture?

I will check with my father and see if he has that picture....just a fashion tip.. 1970s red paisley shows off a gold chain really well!

 

[glitterata]

I can''t believe it! I found the matching brooch! Not the other earring, but a brooch that matches perfectly--clearly they were originally from the same set. Not necessarily the same set, of course, but two copies of the same set. Darn computer won''t let me post the ebay photo; I''ll have to wait until it gets here and take my own pictures.

The pendant was from an American seller, & the brooch is from England.

 

[Catmom]

Date: 1/16/2009 12:24:55 PM
Author: glitterata
I can''t believe it! I found the matching brooch! Not the other earring, but a brooch that matches perfectly--clearly they were originally from the same set. Not necessarily the same set, of course, but two copies of the same set. Darn computer won''t let me post the ebay photo; I''ll have to wait until it gets here and take my own pictures.

The pendant was from an American seller, & the brooch is from England.

Oh YAY, how wonderful that you were able to find the matching brooch! I bet if you keep looking someday you will find the matching earring. It would be so cool if you found a set of the matching earrings so that you could keep your one as a pendant.