Locket Love...Antique Victorian Lockets

Antique Victorian Locket C1870s

It's Friday and I just feel like showing off a bit! So please indulge me. I have a passion for antique Victorian jewelry...especially lockets. So I just wanted to share three of them with you. They all have different styles, but were made around the same time. All from the 1870s. On the first locket (above), the hand engraved design is so beautiful! It is different on both sides. Above you can see the flowerpot framed with a checkerboard design.

Other side of the Victorian locket.

On this side, the details continue. A beautiful encircled swallow. Scrolls. A boat on a lake. Forget-Me-Nots. It is just amazing!

The inside of the locket.

It would have held tintypes and or a memento of a loved one. 

Antique Victorian Book Locket C1870s

Here we have a small Victorian book locket from the 1870s. It also has beautifully hand engraved designs, front and back. On this side we have the designs highlighted with black enamel.

The reverse side of the locket.

Here we have the reverse side of the locket. With the highlights done in white and black enamel. To open this locket, you gently pull it open from the top. It opens by sliding or pivoting on a tiny screw. Even the spine of the book is very detailed!

Inside view of locket.

Here you can see the inside with it's hidden compartment. You can also see from this view, how the locket slides open. It is a small treasure!

Antique Victorian 14K Locket with Seed Pearls and Cobalt Blue Enamel C1870s

This is a magnificent Victorian locket! Again, the same time frame as the other two, yet totally different. The front of this locket is so rich! Gorgeous natural pearls surrounded by deep cobalt blue enamel. All in 14K yellow gold. 

Various views of the locket.

Here you can see that this beautiful locket can be worn as a brooch or a pendant. The compartment in the back would have been used to hold a lock of hair from a loved one. You simply lift the glass frame up and out of the locket.

Front view of the Victorian locket.

Here you can see a straight on view of this incredible locket! It is so beautiful!

Thanks so much for letting me share these beautiful lockets with you! For more information on these antique lockets, or to see other antique lockets, visit my shop, Wicked Darling.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Sitting On Top Of The World - Victorian Lion Locket

You never forget your first!...Locket that is. If you are a collector, you know exactly what I mean. You most likely remember that moment in time when you caught the fever. When you discovered what would begin a life long quest for another...and another. This locket was my first. It is the locket that gave me locket fever. I can remember where I found it. The day I found it. The weather on that day! Let me say that I usually cannot remember what I did earlier in the day, but I found this antique Victorian locket almost 30 years ago and I still remember the details! I had to rescue it from a tangled mess of beads and chains. It was in a box of "junk" at a housewares - antique shop. I was so determined to set it free from this lowly junk box. It seemed to take forever. I purchased the locket and went on my way. We were on a road trip. A very long road trip. I remember holding it in my hands and inspecting it for the next 10 hours. What a treasure!

It also appears that it held a stone at one time. Perhaps in the mouth of the lion. You can see here that part of his face is flattened and has a different color metal. You will see below, in one of the photos, that someone attempted a crude repair from the inside of the locket.

At the time I knew very little about Victorian jewelry, but I knew that was about to change. I bought every book about antique jewelry that I could get my hands on. This was long before we had computers or the internet. Look how majestic this lion is! Sitting on top of the world. I now believe that he represents Great Britain. He dates to the 1870s.

You can see the detail in this locket and why I became obsessed!

Just amazing! My photos do not do this locket justice!

Just look at the intricate hand chased or hand engraved details on the back of the locket. The engraving was actually what fascinated me about the locket. I had worked in a fine jewelry store and had done engraving using a machine. That was difficult enough...and I knew what kind of skill was required to do the level of engraving that was on this locket.

You can see the crude repair. Also, there is hair under glass. Original to the locket.

I have really enjoyed this locket! It has given me so much pleasure and strangely enough...the locket with a globe and a map on the front, may have set me on a course that would ultimately change the direction of my life. A course that I happily travel on everyday! :) Thanks for stopping by! 

Happy Collecting!

For more antique and vintage jewelry, please visit my shop.

Wicked Darling

We All Love a Beautiful Purse - Victorian Enameled Purse Locket

We all love a beautiful purse and the Victorian ladies were no exception. This gorgeous antique Victorian purse locket dates to around 1875. It is gold with an over all blue enamel. The color of this enamel is often referred to as "robin's egg blue". There is also black enamel in the hand engraved recessed areas. This type of enamel is known as Taille d' Epergne. (You may also see this spelled Taille d' Epargne.) Set in the center, is a tiny natural seed pearl. Although this beauty is in need of a repair, I wanted to share it with you. It simply needs a pin replaced in the hinge.

This is the front and back of the beautiful locket. It is becoming hard to find these enameled antique lockets. Especially lockets that do not have a lot of damage to the enamel. That being said, even the lockets with quite a bit of damage to the enamel, are highly sought after! As a collector, damage to the enamel does not deter me. To me it shows that the piece was treasured and worn with love. However, some collectors want pristine pieces. To each his own. This locket has a teeny flee flick out of one of the enameled ivy leaves.

The inside of this tiny purse locket reveals the original paper inserts and photo rims, as well as a remaining glass cover on one side.

The side view shows the detailed craftsmanship that went into the making of this locket.

The bottom view of the locket. Notice how flush and precise the gold work is on the hinge and edges. These types of enameled lockets are found in gold and silver.

The back is just as detailed and ladylike as the front.

I hope that you have enjoyed seeing this tiny treasure from my collection. I have many more treasures to share with you! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Happy Collecting!

For more antique and vintage jewelry, please visit my shop.

Wicked Darling

Those Tiny Victorians - Antique Victorian Peacock Bracelet

I so wanted to wear this bracelet! I have tried everything and to no avail. It just does not fit. This antique Victorian bracelet was made for an extremely small wrist! Even my super thin friends have tried it on and it is too small. It is like looking for Cinderella! Surely there is a wrist in the kingdom that could wear this beautiful bracelet. :) Could a piece this elaborate have been made for a child or perhaps a teenager? Or were Victorian women just really tiny?

The peacock symbolized resurrection, beauty of the soul, and immortality. It was often used in Victorian mourning jewelry. I have been collecting antique Victorian peacock jewelry for years now. This is from my collection. This bracelet dates to C1875 - C1880. Made of a rolled gold with gold and silver applied designs. There are beautiful engraved details on the front panel. Look at those sweet little birds.

It has a place for a safety chain, but the hardware for this chain is missing. Long gone. The shape of the bracelet is a little off kilter.

Look at all of that detailed applied granular and wire work. All done in the Etruscan revival style that was so popular during this era.

The back of the bracelet. You can see that it has a slightly pink tint...and lots of wear to the finish.

I think that a wrist reduction is out of the question for me...So you may see this beautiful bracelet listed in my shop sometime in the near future.

I hope that you have enjoyed seeing this bracelet.

Happy Collecting!

To see more antique and vintage jewelry, visit my shop.
Wicked Darling