ABOUT:
Special stock drop of some fun figural antique pieces, several of these are personal collection releases that I have enjoyed! : )
Oh those clever Victorians and their wonderful, whimsical figural jewelry! Thank heavens for them!
Here we have a fabulous and nice sized bug pendant that is encrusted with at least a carat's worth of chunky rose cut diamonds in closed back setting on the body and open backed at the wings. Highly Collectible! It has a center sapphire (see notes below) and two little ruby eyes as a nice accent against the 29 diamonds.
The Victorians were fascinated with nature and also with jewelry, and we see some wonderful designs come from the period incorporating both of these delights. This one is some sort of winged insect - if I could identify exactly which, we could probably figure out if the motif represented anything, as the figural pieces of the Victorian era often held a symbolism. It has tendencies of a bee, hornet, bug, fly, dragonfly or moth. Feel free to message me your vote : )
Even the underside of the body is engraved for added detail.
I got this awhile ago in France, Paris to be exact. It looks like it may have been a brooch originally as there is a smoothed area right at center, with the later loops added to the top for wear as a pendant. The piece is in 18k gold (the standard there), topped in silver which is also a customary fabrication. The later loops test at 14k. No hallmarks remain as it was likely stamped on the pin. The back has a lovely rosy patina.
Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures. Some of my buyers "draw out" an example to get an idea of scale in person.
Antique Boxes, props, chains, mice : ) not included.
MEASUREMENTS:
21mm x 30mm x 5.5mm deep. It weighs 4.5g. The 29 diamonds are each 1.5 to 2.5mm. They do have flat bottoms as expected but many times during this period they were cut quite thin like discs whereas these have a nice dome giving the piece a sparkly texture. I would never remove them for exact measurements but just using estimates by millimeter it is at least a carat total weight in diamonds since there are so many of them.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
The sapphire was secured with adhesive (not by me) and is crooked : /
The sapphire appears to be original to the piece so I did not wish to pry it out and risk damaging it as it is quite securely adhered. It still reflects the color but just appears imperfect. Selling as is. Nicks and scuffs to the ruby eyes and sapphire. Plenty of patina.
Typical antique diamonds with natural inclusions, some nicks or a tiny frosty / unpolished area here and there to the old cut stones. Again, mostly seen under magnification since they are small diamonds. These are the old, quite rough hand cut stones that may have always been this way, they provide a beautiful untamed sparkle and that great antique look but definitely have some jagged edges and a few warm hues to the ones on the body due to age to the closed back.
Please note that all my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. They will have patina, surface wear, a few small nicks. These pieces may also have evidence of a sizing, some build up around the stones and / or inclusions seen under magnification, typical for antique pieces. I have mentioned any noticeable issues above and they are all still wearable and eager to be loved and accepted for many years to come, (the preservation of antique jewelry, even those with signs of their age and history, is important to me. : )
But - Please note due to age, this piece is not in mint condition. Pictures also serve as part of the description and condition report so please utilize the zoom feature which will magnify any wear significantly more than what is visible to the eye while wearing : )
Striking to wear with the figural shape. Due to age, I would avoid getting it wet.
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SOCIAL:
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