Recently Sold (VICP119)

After Eight - Victorian English 18K/9K Gold Natural Pearl & Paste Black Enamel Mourning Pendant/Brooch. This sentimental pendant is crafted from 18K yellow gold at the front of the piece (the front carved frame) and 9K yellow gold at the back of the piece. This pendant/brooch features 10 natural seed pearls, one antique hand-cut paste (antique hand-cut glass) gemstone, a glass locket, which holds a loved ones hair, Victorian styling, and high quality craftsmanship. This antique piece is comprised of a high carat gold frame, showcasing deeply carved shell motifs and scrolls. The central portion is made of black enamel, and an exquisite delicate flower, which is adorned by lustrous pearls and its original clear paste gemstone. The back of the piece is made of 9K, and a glass locket, which is set with a lock of a loved ones brown hair.  The piece can be worn as a pendant or as a brooch. The pendant looks wonderful on this French 1920s black velvet ribbon. The ribbon is long so it can be adjusted to your desired length. Alternatively the pendant can be worn on your favourite gold chain. This very special Victorian era piece is highly collectible. Truly a piece to be cherished for many years to come. 

Note: Appraisal included with the pendant/brooch. Contemporary appraisals do not reflect the value of antique and vintage jewelry. 

History: 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.

Paste jewellery dates back to France during the 18th century when a jeweller named Georges Frederic Stras began hand crafting fine-quality Paste jewellery in 1724. He was quickly then appointed as “Jeweller to the King”, and began making Paste jewellery for King Louis XV of France.

Additionally, when copper or silver wire is used, the enameling process can be followed by gilding of the exposed wires. The earliest examples, to date, are from the Cypro-Mycenaean period (c. 1400-1000 BC) and were excavated during the 1950s in Cyprus

Mourning jewelry in Western European (and later, American) culture dates back to the 16th century but gained huge popularity in the mid- 19th century when Queen Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert.

Hair art originated in 17th Century England, as a practice to mourn and commemorate the dead. The Victorian era saw hair art's boom in popularity from 1837 – 1901, with it becoming a staple of mourning fashion at the time, and Victorians becoming the centre point of this sentimental art form.

Gold has always had value to humans, even before it was money. This is demonstrated by the extraordinary efforts made to obtain it. Prospecting for gold was a worldwide effort going back thousands of years, even before the first money in the form of gold coins appeared about 700 B.C.

The first velvet appeared in ancient Egypt and China, dating back to 2000 BC. The fabric was traded along the famous Silk Road to medieval Europe from the 1300s onwards. In Europe itself the cities of Venice and Genoa in Italy were some of the first to produce velvet.

In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. 

Measurements: Pendant/Brooch  41.00 mm x 51.00 mm     Black Velvet  38"  ( Can be adjust to fit desired length) 

Stone Size: Natural Pearl 2.00 mm     Paste Gemstone: 1.50 mm 

Weight: 18.30 grams 

Condition: Excellent 

Origin: England 

Date: Circa 1870