Victorian Stag Locket

I just listed an incredible locket this afternoon - a ca. 1880s Victorian stag locket with enamel details. The stag was a symbol of harmony and honor ("will fight if needed" kind of thing) to the Victorians and Queen Victoria herself had several items of jewelry with either stag teeth or stag motifs. Her husband, Prince Albert, enjoyed hunting the animal. The blue enamel on the locket forms the horizon behind the stag, which stand majestically on a rocky slope. The details on the animal are wonderful and the locket is in excellent condition. I don't believe it was ever worn, actually.

In this article, you can read about some of the teeth (human and animal!) jewelry that Queen Victoria possessed and see a fascinating stag tooth necklace gifted to her by Prince Albert.

Victorian twins

Fun fact: The Victorian taille d'epargne enamel locket I just added to the shop (pictured on the right) is the twin to a locket I listed over two years ago. Happily, the version I just stocked wins out as the more handsome of the two, with vivid blue enamel in addition to a seed pearl accent at the center!

Sweet locks

We gave Severen his first haircut last week. On the one hand, it was no big deal - just a haircut. The first of many (and hopefully we will do a better job next time!) On the other hand, it was a rite of passage. I unceremoniously threw most of the clippings away but I kept one soft lock. Why? To put in a locket of course. I feel so Victorian.

P.S. Doesn't he look like such a big kiddo without his baby mullet?

Locket stock and a birthday

I stocked a few new lockets last night (images linked), including the top one which was my first purchase for Jean Jean Vintage over three years ago! Yep, I quietly celebrated my 3-year shop anniversary last week. Here was my Grand Opening blog post. I just shake my head when I think how little I knew when I started. What I lacked in understanding I made up for in enthusiasm. It was a heady time!

Thank you for three good years! How shall we celebrate? I'm taking suggestions. A sale? A giveaway? A game? A macaroni and cheese party (perhaps too complicated)? Leave your ideas in the comments here and I'll do my best to make it happen.

Kings of the Victorian Jungle

Hey, hey - the Art Nouveau lion locket that I stocked in the shop today has a fraternal twin! The Twin, who is 14K yellow gold (hence the $$$$ tag) is for sale over at Lang Antiques. The Jean Jean version is gold filled and likely American made. Aside from provenance and metal type, they are quite similar. They date to the same era (1900s-1910s) with a nearly identical lion and shield motif. Even the textured background and curly border are shared. I just love finding jewelry mates like these.

Bon weekend!

Black Hills Gold locket

I recently acquired a lovely Landstrom's locket. The South Dakota company is known for their work with Black Hills Gold. This piece is not vintage so I can't offer it in the shop but I would like to find it a new home. It is 14K gold fill with 10K gold trim. There are no photo accessories but otherwise it is "like new" condition. It retails for around $150 in the company store and I'm offering this one for $70. Please contact me if you are interested!

Batty about it

The whole point of this outfit post is to show you this bat locket. Bats! A full moon! Spooky clouds! I spent a pretty penny on it but it was worth it. Happy Halloween! What is your favorite Halloween candy? I am a Baby Ruth girl.

P.S. I bought my first tube of lipstick a couple weeks ago (wearing it here!) I am 31-years-old. Yup. A late make-up bloomer. Thanks to Maria of Adelaide's Homesewn for the encouragement. 

Dorothy and her friends

I was tempted to try to find four lockets in addition to the "Dorothy" locket and then name them after the Wizard of Oz characters. But I thought I might lose a few followers if I pulled that stunt. These three are available in the locket drawer now. The bottom two are teeny tiny!

New lockets

There are six new lockets in the shop today, including this beauty.

☾ Spooky owl locket ☽

So, I thought that I had found the coolest locket ever when I found this. But then I saw this owl locket and I felt like my eyes were melting, in the best possible sense of "eyes melting."

Let's review the checklist of awesome things about this piece, shall we?

✓ It's Victorian.
✓ It's a locket.
✓ It's black and gold.
✓ There's a f*#king owl on it!!
✓ It's bog oak.
✓ The beak and feet are done in silver enamel.
✓ So actually, it is black, gold and silver. Even better.
✓ The owl is chilling out on a spooky, twisted gold branch.
✓ The owl is simultaneously cute and totally diabolical.
✓ It's OLD! Like, 1870s old.

The only thing that could make this locket better is if it played a song when you opened it. So let me ask you: What song do you think it would play? The person with the best answer (judged according to no rules whatsoever) will win a little Jean Jean goodie.

Happy October!

Images courtesy of James Alfredson

Cameo sisters

I love finding vintage jewelry twins (or triplets . . . or quintuplets) and I think this pair is especially beautiful. I stocked the black and white "hidden locket" cameo in the shop last night and then stumbled upon its gorgeous blue sister this morning. Their hairstyles and enameling are a bit different, but they are obviously related!

Blue locket image courtesy of Artes-Trouveaux

Coolest. Locket. Ever.

 

Um, holy shit?! This Masonic Ball locket is maybe one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Folding parts! Secret symbols! A skull and crossbones! And when it is all closed up it looks like something you would want to wear everyday. Gahhhh.

via The Antique Jewellery Company

Locket Lundi

Today's locket is a late 1800s cerulean enamel piece with 10K gold and seed pearls. The interior holds the original glass inserts and photo bezels, as well as a hand-tinted photo of a woman in period dress. These blue Victorian lockets are highly collectible and I am very excited to offer one in the shop.

Two hearts

Just listed in the shop!

Locket Lundi

Happy Monday! Here are a few new lockets for the shop.

Locket Lundi

Since I skipped Locket Lundi last Monday, I'm stocking three beauties today. Happy Monday/Lundi!

Locket Lundi: Pocket watch style

I am stocking a wonderful turn of the century pocket-watch style locket today. The best thing about this piece (other than the opals!) is that it has the original company insert from the Providence Jewelry Company, which is found listed in records as early as 1902.

Locket Lundi: The wee ones

Thanks to those of you who cast your vote for lockets to be photographed last week. I think I shot all the ones you asked for! They will be coming to the shop soon. Today, though, I couldn't resist doing a tiny locket update. These little bitties are headed to the locket drawer in the shop today. Happy Locket Lundi!

Through the keyhole

Christ on a Pony, I have a lot of things to photograph for the shop! So many good things. So many. Like these lockets. What is it that is SO mesmerizing about a pile of shiny things? I think it is the look of abundance that is so alluring. I also think it is a bit like looking through a keyhole . . . you can see juuusst enough to know that you want to see more. Maybe that is why I like antiquing so much. Jewelry cases, especially, are always a bit of a mess and because they are usually locked you have to be able to sort things out in your mind. Dig around with your eyes, not your hands. I love doing that.

Since it is highly unlikely that I will be able to photograph these all at once, I'll take a vote from you. Which ones should I snap first?

Coffin locket

 
This is a Victorian coffin locket. That fact that I can use the words "coffin" and "locket" together in the same sentence makes me deliriously happy. What a brilliant way to use a funerary motif in mourning jewelry! The little compartment here would have been perfect for a lock of hair. I don't have a will yet (I probably should) but when I write it, I might request that a bit of money be used to make mourning jewelry for my close friends and family. A little engraved locket like this would be so lovely, I think.

Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum