Recently Sold (VICP093)

English Beauty - Victorian 9K Gold Sterling Silver Pearl Heart Locket Pendant & 14K Gold Chain.  This beautiful locket is crafted from 9K yellow gold, and sterling silver, hallmarked 9ct Back Front, Sterling Setting.  Featuring 20 natural pearls, Victorian styling, and quality craftsmanship.  The gorgeous locket has a wonderful rich yellow gold colour, with a high polish and a beautifully chased border on the front and the back.  The central portion has a raised sterling silver gallery, which is adorned by beautiful silvery grey pearls. The inside of the locket has its original brass frames, which has been lined at some point with vibrant blue foil.  The locket has been matched up with a very pretty adjustable 14K fancy link chain, hallmarked 14K, Italy. The Victorian era locket is unique and feminine, truly a perfect gift or jewelry addition to be cherished for many years to come.

History: In the history of the United Kingdom, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian period, and its later half overlaps with the first part of the Belle Époque era of Continental Europe. 

Pearls were presented as gifts to Chinese royalty as early as 2300 BC, while in ancient Rome, pearl jewellery was considered the ultimate status symbol. So precious were the spherical gems that in the 1st century BC, Julius Caesar passed a law limiting the wearing of pearls only to the ruling classes.

Gold was generally used for a couple thousand years solely to create things such as jewelry and idols for worship. This was until around 1500 BC when the ancient empire of Egypt, which benefited greatly from its gold-bearing region, Nubia, made gold the first official medium of exchange for international trade.

Lockets evolved from ancient amulets to mementos... growing increasingly prominent by the 19th Century. European designs date back to the 16th Century, where small pendants were worn to ward off evil spirits. One of the earliest known examples of a locket with a picture in it is Queen Elizabeth I's ring.

Measurements: Locket 28.00 mm x 20.00 mm    Chain 18" - 20" (adjustable) 

Stone Size: Pearl (natural seed pearl) 1.00 mm each 

Weight: 7.00 grams 

Condition: Excellent 

Origin: Locket : England        Chain: Italy 

Date: Circa 1880