Vintage Seashell Pendant

This vintage lavalier pendant is an incredibly special piece that will be in your collection and certainly become an heirloom. It features an...

This antique goldstone cross was made in the 19th century, but it has a decidedly modern appeal. The cross's goldstone surface is a burnt orange color, with metallic flecks that spar...

This piece is so special and so rare: it dates to the Victorian era, more specifically the 1860s, and was likely made in Britain. It is crafted from vulcanite and features a teardrop shape with a high relief bunch of grapes in intricate detail, surrounded by a border of carved beads, strung on a fine black ribbon, to be worn as choker. (I love it strung on the Victorian Jet Choker pictured, which is also available in my shop.) The vulcanite has this truly stunning, relatively matte finish, with a rich warm glow— it's just so unique and unlike any other material. What is vulcanite? It is made by combining the sap of the Euphorbia or Ficus trees from Malaysia, with sulphur. It was originally invented in 1843 by Thomas Hancock. His timing just happened to be spot-on: black had long been considered essential to mourning jewelry and mourning dress, but thanks to Queen Victoria's extended 40 years of grieving (for her husband, Prince Albert), from about 1860-1890, black was considered a highly fashionable color, and began to be worn outside mourning dress. During this period, vulcanite became a very fashionable material for jewelry, and it loaned objects that gothic, romantic, dramatic black cast that Victorians just loved. Victorian mourning jewelry is rife with grape motifs; for one, grapes were a symbols of Christ (as wine is the blood of Christ). On Victorian grave markers, a cluster of grapes typically means that the deceased was of mature years. Victorians are well known for using flowers and botanicals as a means of communication. Wild grapes, according to The Language of Flowers published in 1913, are symbols of Charity, a favorite Victorian theme. NOTE: The Victorian Hair Mourning...

I have a long-held fascination with Victorian hair art and mourning jewelry, and this piece is full of amazing details. In the 19th Century Europe a...

This antique mother of pearl Gobbo charm is a powerful talisman; if you're not familiar with Gobbo charms, they are thought to offer the same protection and good luck as the ubiquito...

There is something so magical to me about vintage and antique cameos: the way the portraits are rendered in such incredible detail seems to tell a person's mystery. This cameo is carved from genuine shell with such impressive precision, and it's set in solid 18k gold. It is both a pendant, and a brooch; the pin back is not visible when it's worn as a pendant, and I love the way the bail dangles down and disappears when it's worn as brooch, making it truly two pieces in one. It was likely made in the 1930s, but it's also possible that the cameo itself was made even earlier, and the brooch fastener was later added around the 1930s or 1940s. This cameo depicts a Spanish woman, wearing a mantilla comb...

The cameo at the center of this exceptional pendant is a stunning example of the art of gem engraving during the Renaissance. It likely dates to the early 17th century and features a sacrificial scene inspired by the Greco-Roman era. The central flaming altar is flanked by two figures preparing to sacrifice a ram, while a figure in a lion skin blowing horns stands in the left corner. The carver brilliantly uses the natural layers of the stone to achieve the illusion of shadow and musculature on the figures. A second, smaller cameo is set at the top of the pendant, while a myriad of multi-colored gems, pearls and enamel adorns the 18K gold setting. A large Baroque pearl suspended from an enamel dragon finishes the design, which embodies the opulence and theatricality of jewels from the Renaissance age. Cameos and intaglios were highly popular amongst wealthy connoisseurs in Renaissance Italy, and owning the finest pieces was the privilege of princes. Although they were often elaborately mounted for display alone, cameos were also frequently worn as pendants, surrounded by enameled and stone-set gold frames. Such pieces were particularly prized by the Medici and Lorraine families, many of which can now be seen at the National Archeological Museum in Florence. Very few Renaissance cameos...

The Jade Leaf Pendant is a totally unique and completely handcrafted sculpture created by Paul Amey. The pendant was crafted from 18K yellow gold. Th...

This magnificent gold-plated silver cross was made in Italy in the 60s. It is hand sculpted and the gold plated finish highlights the tree trunk design. The finishing touch is given ...

Considered very auspicious in both Chinese and Japanese cultures, the gourd has a long history of talismanic use in warding off evil and promoting good fortune. In Chinese, it is cal...

Fine antique 19th century Qing Dynasty celadon jade pendant plaque of rectangular form, exceptionally well carved on both sides. On one side, a b...

One of the most sacred and revered images of the Virgin, the iconography refers to an event which took place on November 27th, 1165 during the assault on the city of Novgorod. In an effort to save the city, the citizens of Novgorod brought the icon of Our Lady of the Sign to the city wall and when one of the arrows struck the icon, tears formed on the image. The Bishop of Novgorod proclaimed that this was a sign that the Virgin was entreating her Son to spare the city. Novgorod was spared and the image, known as Znamenie, became highly venerated in Russia as a powerful protection symbol. This beautiful travel icon...