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.

Man on the moon ring

This extraordinary carved "Man on the Moon" moonstone and diamond ring is coming up to auction next Tuesday at Reeman Dansie Auctioneers. I love his expression.

Fellow's Antique & Modern Jewelry Auction, June 12th

Have you ever bid in a jewelry auction, online or in person? There is one coming up this Thursday, June 12th, that caught my eye. The auction house is Fellows & Sons, a family-owned auctioneers based in the old jewelry quarter of Birmingham, UK. They are a bustling house, presenting nearly 100 auctions a year and (lucky for us!) specializing in antique and modern jewelry. They make it easy to bid online via the-salesroom and they present a sensational full-color catalog. You can download the whole shabang on the Antique & Modern Jewelry auction homepage. I've picked out a few of my favorites here:

a ▴ Lot 105 / mid-century 18k gold, coral and diamond dress ring
b ▴ Lot 385 / Victorian garnet cabochon necklace with enamel hand and woven hair reverse
c ▴ Lot 37 / Victorian 18k gold, pearl and diamond ring
d ▴ Lot 472 / Early 20th century 18k gold diamond and enamel flower brooch
e ▴ Lot 9 / Early 20th century silver, 9 ct gold, sapphire and diamond cluster brooch
f ▴ Lot 87 / Pair of 18k gold ear clips
g ▴ Lot 30 / 1970s 18k gold synthetic color change sapphire ring
h ▴ Lot 81 / Early 20th century gold, diamond and gem-set bird brooch
i ▴ Lot 378 / Late 19th century gold amethyst cameo pendant
j ▴ Lot 287 / Late 19th century 15k gold, turquoise and diamond pendant
k ▴ Lot 361 / Mid 19th century 15k gold, diamond and ruby bangle
l ▴ Lot 11 / Mid 20th century novelty oar pendant
m ▴ Lot 318 / cultured five-row bracelet with ruby clasp

As for me, I'm planning to toss my hat in the ring for one lot on Thursday. If I win, I'll be sure to share a victory photo here and on Instagram!
 
Here's a pro tip: Even if you don't plan to bid this week, I encourage you to check out the catalog. Most of us don't have the opportunity to view such variety and quality of jewelry as this in person but a great catalog is a nice consolation prize. Plus, you can learn a lot from reading item descriptions and it is always interesting to review the hammer/realized prices from past auctions.

This post is part of a collaboration with Fellows & Sons

New Victorian ring stock

A few different shots of some new antique gold rings in the shop. Two of them are 15 carat gold, which was a legal standard for a very short time from 1854 to 1931. I love the patina on these and the stones are fantastic - rough cut diamonds, turquoise and paste.

► shop Jean Jean Vintage Rings  ◀

Original boxes make me happy

"Original box" is a phrase that makes me feel warm all over. When I see antique jewelry like this - "in situ" - I really feel transported to another time. I imagine standing in a jewelry shop, watching the keeper pack up a purchase and closing the box with a little snap. It is also a reminder to me that all of these things - antiques today - were once brand new, waiting in a shop for someone to try them on and take them home. Here are a few of my favorite examples (all images linked).

Images courtesy of:
Baby ring: Jean Jean Vintage
Turquoise ring: Etsy
Snake necklace and pearl parure: Oro incenso e mirra
Mourning ring: Paris Hotel Boutique
Comb: The Three Graces
Goldstone mosaic ring: Wells Antiques
Etruscan bracelet: Rubylane

"Good (Victorian) dog!"

More fun figurals! This time, Victorian dogs. After I stocked the tiny English Bulldog pin in the shop I went searching for some other Victorian pups. These are a few of my favorites. Most of the time these kinds of pieces appear in gold or gold fill, although you can see examples of ivory and coral here, too.

Where to find these fellas (top to bottom)

Enamel and diamond French bulldog cufflinks (Alice Kwartler)
Gold fill bulldog converted stick pin (Jean Jean Vintage)
14K French bulldog stick pin (Lang Antiques)
Ivory hunting dog cufflinks (A. Brandt & Sons)
14K and pearl bulldog stick pin (The Strands of Time)
Coral whippet stick pin (Ruby Lane)

The real deal

These three exceptional rings are now in the shop. A bit of a departure from the costume pieces I normally stock, I know. I will continue to supply those, too! But you can expect to find a few "fine" rings in the Jean Jean Vintage collection from now on. It was only a matter of time, I suppose, before I discovered the thrill of real gold and gemstones :)

Edwardian 18K gold and rose cut diamond snake ring

Edwardian 18K yellow gold and diamond wedding ring

Victorian 15K gold and turquoise Etruscan Revival ring

New gold rings

These three gold rings are fresh in the shop!

Victorian buckle ring, 18K yellow gold dated for 1881

9K onyx signet ring, dated for 1980

Art Deco wedding band, 22K gold and dated for 1931

Take a star from the sky

After years spent handling, researching, wearing and thinking about beautiful jewelry, I am now accustomed to a certain level of "wow." I don't react to everything all the time - certainly not like I used to when I first started this gig. I guess I am a bit desensitized! That said, there are always things that make me shake my head in amazement. Like this Victorian paste brooch. It looks like someone plucked a star from the sky and put it in a velvet box. I feel this one in my ribs, which means it's really good.

Incidentally, I just stocked a 9 CT and paste ring in the shop this week. She's really pretty.

You can see more extraordinary paste jewelry on this Morning Glory reference page.

Instagram Giveaway

Giveaway! Yay - it has been awhile and this is a great piece. A tiny turn-of-the-century Victorian love knot pin, plated in yellow gold and set with an opal. To enter, mosey over to Jean Jean Vintage on Instagram and ♥ like ♥ or regram the giveaway announcement anytime today (before midnight, EST). You get two extra entries if you become a new follower, too! The winner will be announced by Severen on Instagram tomorrow afternoon. Don't you want to hear him say your name in his adorable toddler voice?!

I shall never tire

These snake rings push all my buttons. And just look at how warm and scuffed up the gold is. Like a perfectly worn in pair of jeans that you want to wear for twenty years in a row. If I put one of these on I dare say it would never come off. All of these come from Paris Hotel Boutique, a San Francisco based shop that sells (among other things) jewelry, vintage hotel silver (and copper pots from the Waldorf Astoria!) and art. I found this vintage French parade flag in their "sold" files and almost lost my marbles. And this 4' tall brass candleabra well, I really want to figure out a way to wear it. Could I fit in there somewhere among the brass foliage?

Images courtesy of Paris Hotel Boutique

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!

The beloved beetle

Why beetle jewelry on the 4th of July? Because you need to have some pre-firework excitement.  I mean, sheeeeez - beetle jewelry is the best. This piece is turn-of-the-century and mounted in 14K gold. It sold for a reasonable $230. The beetle-shaped bezels just kill me.

via Aspire Auctions

For Her Majesty

In honor of the anniversary of the first day of Queen Victoria's reign, which began 176 years ago yesterday (June 20, 1837) I listed this ring. It features one of her favorite stones - turquoise. I think my favorite thing about this piece is the range of color in the natural pearls and in the turquoise. I also love the rose gold band and setting. This pairing of seed pearls and turquoise was especially popular in the Late Victorian period, with rubies and diamonds occasionally making an appearance, too. These rings are easy to recognize because of three things: a geometrically framed face set with patterns of calibre cut turquoise and seed pearls, rose gold setting, and decorative chasing on the shoulders. Here are a few other rings in the same style from around the web (images linked).

 

 

 

 

 

A way to remember

{Rings, top to bottom: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 }

These "Memento Mori" bands are in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, most of them from the mid-late 1700s. No matter how many times I see this type of ring - gold, enamel, engraving - I am always stunned. You too? There is a company that specializes in making modern-day sentimental rings, modeled after Georgian and Victorian rings like these. They are pretty fantastic. I'll be blogging about them tomorrow!

Also, this page from a London jeweler's design album, done in pencil and watercolor, shows three possible designs for mourning rings. The delicate drawings are almost as wonderful as the rings themselves!

Images courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum