LABRADORITE Blue Labrador ; ) DOG Head Carved Antique Victorian French 18k Gold Figural Hunting Loyalty Hound Pendant Bracelet Charm Animal

ABOUT:

One of my favorite things to find in the antique jewelry world is carved labradorite. The grayish black stone that lights up to a glowing vibrant blue in some light and angles - it's truly amazing. How clever is God to have made a stone in the earth that looks and acts like this!? It is awe inspiring.

Difficult to find in antique jewelry - we most often see labradorite carved in the Victorian period as owls, monkeys, a moon, or a component in a bug body.

This one was purchased in Paris as a stick pin and wow is it fabulous. Mr. Mouse calls it the "LABrador...ite" - get it? Cuz it looks like a lab (the dog) and is crafted in labradorite? It's punny!
: )
Really amazing detail and that gorgeous coloring. And my friends at Collins Family jewelers who did the conversion for me, were actually able to preserve (!) the French 18k gold hallmark from the portion of the pin post from the original pin, that they used to make the loop / bale / jump ring. Hooray!

Certainly a one of a kind piece, hand carved with wonderful detail.

Oh those clever Victorians and their wonderful, whimsical figural jewelry! Thank heavens for them! This stock drop (see group pic) was over a year in the making as it took me quite some time to find, collect and assemble some of these hard to find antique figural pieces. Listing is for the one piece in the cover. I love figural, celestial, animal, dragon, and letter jewelry so something for everyone in here! These all came from broken earrings or stick pins that were converted for wear as a pendant or bracelet charm. Fun to layer, mix and match - many scarce or one of a kind! Pretty please note the measurements as they are dainty but rare.

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. As the figural pieces of the Victorian era often held a symbolism, the hunting dog this was a popular motif during the Victorian period. The motif was used often in jewelry design for representing loyalty, devotion and faithfulness.

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. They are always smaller in real life than they appear in photos due to the zoom photos I am required to show.

Antique Boxes, props, chains, bannisters, mice : ) not included.

MEASUREMENTS:

Height including jump ring: 16mm
Width: 14mm
Weight: 1.9 grams.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

Labradorite stones always always have inclusions and veining to them. They always show those internal linear veins like marble, which can appear almost like hairline fissures or crazing lines. This is a natural characteristic of the stone, so the piece is not chipped or cracked in any way. The color variations are a natural part of the stone.

According to various sites, it has a good durability on the Mohs hardness scale, but I wonder with the veining and marbling, if it might be a bit fragile along those veins? I guess I can't say for certain except to say that the stone is stable now, but if it were me, I maybe wouldn't put it in a neckmess or as a bracelet charm where it might rattle and bang into other things? Just to preserve that beautifully detailed carving.

Signs on the back of the conversion but in great condition with wonderful patina. Very legible.

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 and amazing color.

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SOCIAL:
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