Early 20th century Egyptian revival gold and enamel brooch

A fine antique early 20th century paste lizard or salamander brooch, artfully and expertly handcrafted in silver, partly gilt, workmanship c. 1900, in a fitted case, with the cutest ...

When the line between want and need becomes quite blurry. A 19th century 18 karat rose brooch set with an approx. 5ct blue zircon surrounded by 269 antique, old, table and rose cut ...

42 beautiful, gently graduated, multi-chromatic opal beads imbued with lightening flashes, alternate with small even sized pearls to create this enchanting necklace. The beads are ra...

his unusual and lovely victorian set of faceted rock crystals and carved smoky quartz was made in the second half of the 19th century. Natural rock crystals are saluted for its way of bending the light into a “pool” of light around the wearer. They are absolutely magical and look fabulous when worn. Rock crystal is the clear transparent variety of quartz (silicon dioxide) and has a MOHS hardness rating of 7. This makes them harder than, say, opal but softer than emerald (7.5) and topaz (8). Featuring two genuine rock crystal briolettes. The beautiful briolettes are pear shaped and faceted. They sparkle beautifully. Truly special heirloom earrings...

David Webb the self-starter made it to New York and by 1948, at the age of 23, he opened shop. Manhattan was fast and fun: daytime visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dinner parties with clients, and in 1962 he became First Lady Jackie Kennedy's choice to make the official Gifts of State. By the end of the 1960s, the smart set and all of Hollywood wore their David Webb animal...

Cut steel jewelry was at the height of fashion from the mid 1700s well into the 19th century. Originated in the 1700s. Popular from the Georgian through the Victorian eras. To make cut steel, melted horseshoe nails were formed into tiny faceted beads. Those small steel gemstone-like studs were then riveted one-by-one onto a base plate. It was an English invention that quickly travelled throughout the world. Each stud could have up to 15 facets, and in general the finer and older the piece the more facets the studs will have. Improvements in candles meant that grand events and entertaining could take place at night. As diamonds are diamonds and not available for everyone, and everyone wanted to shine, the popularity grew. Cut-steel provided a stylish and popular new jewelry material that could be enjoyed by everyone at all levels of society. It grew beyond a simple imitation to an art in its own right. The manufacturing was complex and the workmanship that was required highly skilled. These were not mass produced objects. The studs were made from decarbonated cast steel, which was case-hardened, then the studs were faceted by cutting against a pewter wheel. Next were then polished with first fine emery and a hard brush, and then by hand with a special putty. Finally they were riveted onto pierced base plates which had to be drilled and cut by hand, too. The main place of cut steel production was Birmingham, England. And there, one manufacturer stood out from all the rest: Matthew Boulton. He had been born in 1728 into the industry — his father manufactured small metal products. But the younger Boulton had a special talent for marrying the latest technology with the latest fashion. He also was continually expanding — he even founded a mint. He wined and dined with dignitaries and advocated for his steel products. Fortuitously, he became quite close with the Russian ambassador to Catherine the Great. When the ambassador toured the mint, Boulton made sure to send the Empress some of his cut-steel necklaces. In 1759, Louis XV “encouraged” the nobility to donate their gold and gemstone jewelry to help fund the Seven Years War. The popularity of cut steel in France may in part have been due to these sumptuary laws which limited who could wear precious metals and diamonds. Either you complied with the law and gave up your family jewels to be melted down for the war chest...

Large Egyptian Revival pharaoh brooch featuring blue and gold enamel. Measuring length 6.5 cm / 2.56 inches by width 4.8 cm / 1.9 inches. The brooch is in very good condition. There ...

An Early 20th Century 14 karat gold Etruscan Revival cannetille brooch. The brooch is designed with fine wire work decorated with cannetille. It feat...

An 19th century Egyptian revival Pharaoh brooch, the chalcedony realistically carved as the face of the Pharaoh in a millegraine setting, wear...

Brooch in 18 karat yellow gold, owl hallmark. Of oval shape, it is decorated with an enamel representing the Virgin Mary carrying a child in her arms, accompanied by Christ. The fram...

An antique Egyptian revival scarab brooch, the cabochon-cut sapphire in a rub-over setting with rose cut diamond details, the outstretch...

This is a rare Art Deco Egyptian Revival 14 Karat Gold and Enamel Brooch depicting Heremakhet (Greek: Harmakhis). Heremakhet is a Hieracosphinx who has the body of a lion and the he...