Part 2 - Wonderful Estate Finds - Victorian Jewellery & Watches

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This piece was one of my favorite things purchased from this estate offering. The watch is marked inside the case "Argent Fin". It is a Napoleon III french key wind watch dating from the 1870s. Remarkably, it is still working. Especially lovely is the japanned or lacquered wooden display box. It is inlaid with brass and mother of pearl. It was made by Jean-Pierre Tahan, son of Alphonse Tahan, cabinet-maker to Emperor Napoleon III. Charmingly, the original owner, left a little note in the bottom of the box.

I love the "little touches".

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In July of this year, my husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary in New York. Not to be missed is the Metropolitian Museum of Fine Art. There are many wonderful exhibits, but one of the rooms that really stuck with me was the one filled with Pietra Dura furniture. Pietra Dura is the name for special mosaic work, invented in Italy, using different semi-precious stones and coloured marbles set into a hard slab of stone. Pietra Dura is Italian for hard stone.

The piece pictured above is a Victorian era Pietra Dura brooch/pendant combination. The frame is hallmarked 9ct gold. I'm not sure of all of the stone, but the black may be onyx, and I recognize lapis lazuli and malachite inlays.  What a wonderful find.

I'll write some more tomorrow - such a little treasure trove :)

Wonderful Estate Finds Today - Victorian Jewellery & Watches

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I always say the best part of my job is the shopping. I had the good fortune today to purchase a fabulous little collection of Victorian Era jewelry, handbags, watches, and accessory items from an estate.

The piece pictured above is a Victorian Era Pinchbeck Mourning brooch. Pinchbeck is a type of metal alloy composed of copper and zinc invented in the 18th century as an imitation of gold. This type of jewelry is also referred to as "Hair Jewelry".  The floral decoration is composed of human hair, gold thread, and seed pearls.  Hair was used in 17th century mourning jewelry. This tradition was later revived in the 19th century for use in both mourning pieces (for the dead) and in sentimental or token of affection pieces (for the living). This piece is double sided. There is a piece of black fabric behind glass on the back. This piece is likely to be a mourning piece.

The piece below is also a piece of Victorian mourning jewelry. This is also composed of pinchbeck, with an overlay of black enamel and a plaited section of hair behind glass. The use of of black enamel indicates mourning versus sentiment/token.

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More this week.....