Victorian Gold Locket with Almandine Garnet, c. 1870

The citizens of Victorian England cultivated a distinct culture of remembrance and sentimentality, which was also reflected in their jewellery. People exchanged locks of hair, for example, which they carried with them in the form of pieces of jewelry, and ascribed friendly and romantic meanings to certain gemstones and jewelry motifs. Around 1870, the locket in particular became the wealthy British woman's favorite piece of jewelry, as it could be used to safely store photos, locks of hair and letters. Today, the locket is almost only known as a pendant, but back then it also appeared in the form of brooches and even on bracelets. This almond-shaped brooch also has a glazed compartment on the back. The compartment is empty today, but it probably originally concealed a memento of a happy occasion. In the eyes of contemporaries, the brooch would not have been suitable for a sad occasion due to its rich gold tone and shining gemstone setting. A large almandine garnet in an oval cabochon cut is at the center of the design and sits in a closed mirror setting that shows off its wonderfully deep red raspberry color particularly well. The stone is surrounded by lace-like decoration made up of gold cords and spheres in the so-called Archaeological Revival style. An additional matt fine gilding - the so-called "bloomed gold" - gives the brooch a velvety radiance. After almost a century and a half, the brooch is still in good condition and ready to once again become a memento.

Estimate:£1,249.41

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