Antique Locket Pendant Made of Gold, Blue Enamel, and a Pearl, c. 1870

In the 19th century, jewellery was not merely a form of adornment but was also meant to convey messages, emotions, and memories. For example, Queen Victoria wore a bracelet with a heart-shaped pendant attached for each of her children; jewellery set with Scottish semi-precious stones was meant to evoke memories of summers spent in the Highlands; and friends exchanged pieces of jewellery that, instead of gemstones, displayed artfully braided strands of hair encased in glass. This pendant is a keepsake in the truest sense of the word, with space inside to hold a lock of hair, a small note, or a photograph. On its smooth, velvety golden surface, a slightly raised star made of blue enamel is set, with a delicate natural Orient pearl shimmering at its center. The Victorian locket is in very good condition and, based on its design, dates to the 1870s. It was a time when star motifs and velvety, shimmering surfaces in yellow gold—just like those of the locket—were all the rage. The locket was thus very much in step with the fashion of its time. We discovered it in Hamburg. For dating, see Brigitte Marquardt: Jewellery: Realism and Historicism (1850–1895), Munich/Berlin 1998, pp. 231ff, with corresponding lockets from the period; regarding the shape of the star, see David Bennet and Daniela Mascetti: Understanding Jewelry, Woodbridge 2010, p. 230.

Estimate:$1,093.34

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