Shell Collectible Jewelry

A rare and gorgeous vintage Chanel pearl four strand necklace. The statement necklace is made of round and drop shaped faux pearls and is marked ...

A vintage Native American Navajo turquoise stone necklace with authentic 26 pearls and two carved cross pendants in sterling silver. The necklace is attributed to the Jewelry designer T-Foree. This vintage necklace will make a statement and is a collectible piece. To the Navajo tribe, the color turquoise represents happiness, luck, and health. ... Black, white, blue, and green were the colors within the turquoise stone which represent the colors of the natural world. A horseshoe-shaped symbol or a symbol called “Naja” appeared often in tradition Navajo jewelry...

A stylish vintage powder compact with mirror executed in gold plated metal and showcasing a front tiled with mother of pearl. Swiss made circa 1930-60. Measurements: D: 8 cm, H:dept:...

Dimensions: L: 1 3/8in W: 1 3/8in This Pair of Vintage Coco Chanel Clip On Earrings are truly spectacular!! If you look at the photos provided you will see the attention to detail ...

AMBIANIC presents Italian Petit Point Evening Bag with Mother of Pearl and Gold Tone Hardware Fine needlepoint hand-stitched scenic tapestry embroidery stamped made in Italy gold car...

Exquisite Victorian Shell Cameo, c. 1850 Exquisite Victorian Shell Cameo, c. 1850. This finely crafted shell cameo, likely from England and dat...

A beautiful vintage white beaded handbag with brass hardware decorated with Mother-Of-Pearl, pastel enamels and marcasite details, circa early to m...

Charming Mother of Pearl chatelaine perfume scent or snuff bottle. Very intricate details including a butterfly on the base. Wonderful piece to add to a collection of these desirable...

This petite mother-of-pearl carving is a delightful example of the button-like toggles worn by men and women throughout the Qing dynasty. Because traditional Chinese clothing didn't ...

This exceptional antique cameo, likely from England and dating to around 1850, is carved from a single-colored shell—a rarer choice compared to the more common layered varieties. It ...

This Zuni Indigenous American sterling silver and inlaid gemstone figural rabbit brooch or pendant was made by Porfillo and Ann Sheyka. The piece was handmade in most likely the late...

A very rare and fine Charles X period pair of mother of pearl and ormolu ring stands, depicting Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday. Set upon wooden bases with e...

Purse revealing diary and pen in the interior.

Charming pair of mother-of-pearl cufflinks in 800 silver. The cufflinks have a left and right hand portrait of a Lady in dark brown mother-of-pearl in Art Deco design. Handmade in Au...

An impressively large handcrafted sterling silver Haida cuff bracelet / bangle, decorated overall with traditional totemic Haida motifs and centred by a striking abalone roundel. The interior bearing the artists signature & dated 1979, together with a dedication to Dr. George F. McDonald, noted Canadian anthropologist & former Executive Director of the Canadian Museum of Man. Dimensions: 3” high x 3” diameter. Weight, 96 grams. Ron A. Sebastian (1945- ) is a highly accomplished Northwest British Columbia native artist, who is both a member of the Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en Peoples. Ron studied carving & design at the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Indian...

A custom made necklace by Famous Moroccan jeweler Chez Faouzi of Marrakech. Necklace is made of antique Moroccan silver and conus shell charms with the signature Faouzi back neck charm...

Gold portrait brooch with pearls en diamonds.

Blackened Brass and Eggshell Hair Comb by the Important Modern Dutch Jewelry Designer/Maker Peggy Bannenberg. This model 'Comb' is in the collection of The Amsterdam Museum Boijmans...

Art Decò walking stick: jewel cane, cylindrical knob in rock crystal, band made of 18Kt gold, fretwork, 4 squares of two sizes, which allow you ...

A rare and exquisite brooch by legendary designer Elizabeth Locke, showcasing a Silver Sasanian Coin depicting Xusro I (circa 300 AD), framed in solid 18K yellow gold. The central ha...

Antique Collectible Ethnic Tribal Folk Art Crescent Shell Pieces Choker Necklaces from Papua New Guinea. Shell pieces cut from the gold lipped pearl oyster found off the waters of Papua New Guinea. Their opalescent color ranges from deep gold yellow to pale yellow. Each is pierced at the crescent point for a cord attachment enabling the owner to wear them singly or together around the neck. One had a line of holes along the inner edge of the crescent as a decorative feature. Highly Collectible Museum Pieces, worn by men and women rare old Kina Shell Necklaces (Huge Mother of Pearl Crescent) Pectoral Collected from the Foi Tribe (Papua New Guinea), Circa 1920’s. From the Art collection of Marian and John Scott. Acquisition date: 1969. Evaluation date records: 1982. About: For the people of the Highlands, shells were considered treasures. As they were items that came from distant shores of Papua New Guinea they were already objects used for trade. The number one source of mother of pearl wealth was and is still is from the Thursday Island, one of the chain of Island that suggests the ancient land bridge across the Torres Straits from Cape York, Australia to New Guinea. They were fashioned into objects of adornment worn on costumes, hair, nose, etc. Of particular rarity was the gold lipped pearl shell. References: Plumes and Arrows, Inside New Guinea, COlin Simpson, Angus and RObertson, 1968. CATEGORY Anthropology: Ethnography. Tribal Kina Shell Pectoral Necklace, Pearl shell ornamentation (neck). Kina (shell money) Oject part of Pacific Cultures Collections. Purchased from the amazing private collection of Mark Lissauer who spent his life collecting niche ethnographic pieces. About Mark Lissauer: Mark Lissauer spent forty years travelling abroad for months at a time collecting ethnographic artefacts primarily from New Guinea and the islands of the West Pacific, and from Asia and Himalayan countries. Fluent in five languages and having in the course of business travelled to more than forty countries, Mark is well-known to museums and art-collectors around the world for his long career and his interesting and diverse collection of rare ethnographic material. Mark knows the origin and symbolism of each piece. Through extensive research and more than ninety trips around the globe, Mark familiarised himself with the traditions of the various cultures he visited in order to understand the meaning of each object to its region and tribe. His home has a specialist library and several rooms are filled with tribal carvings, textiles and ethnographica. He acquired his first tribal piece in 1948 during a business trip to Milne Bay, New Guinea, and has since documented the acquisition of some 35,000 items. Several thousands of these have been sold to important private collections and museums worldwide, including the Rockefeller Museum, the British Museum and the Musée National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, now incorporated into the Louvre Museum. Estimator certificate of authenticity by Wayne Heathcote Tribal Art Dealer and Expert. Heathcote has a flash gallery in Brussels, where much of the tribal art business is centred, and is an expert at Sotheby's tribal art sale...

20th Century Victorian Revival Bracelet Set in Sterling Sliver Frames 7 high relief cameos carved from Bull mouth Shell Box Clasp 7.5"L x 1.125"W x .197"D Marked 95

This is a beautiful bolo tie. It's made of braided leather and sterling silver with s turquoise and abalone setting in the medallion.. The abalone is shaped like an arrowhead piercin...

Cameo with frame stamped openwork gold (9-karat) decorated with a symmetrical composition based on opposing "ces", simplified volutes and aveneradas forms in the equator of the piece...

The organic necklaces are treated as works of art or sculpture displayed on their black metal stands. The top parts are intricately braided twine attached to which are sliced sea she...

Decorativ object, vide poche, signed by Binazzi in silver and natural shell. Italian work, circa 1970.

Vintage 1950s cameo "Knight" cuff links, full marked "14K" featuring a 14-karat post with a hand carved portrait of a knight fixed to a back clasp...

Large Art Nouveau hand-carved orchid tortoiseshell pendant - the detail is exquisite. Tiny pins down the center of the pendant stabilize the piece. circa 1890, Paris Measurements: ...

Cameo (brooch with security handle) with gold frame. The central piece, made in shell (Cassius Cypraea), white on flesh tone, presents a female bust (on view from the side). This you...

Victorian era bracelet with shell cameo. The bracelet is made with a band of woven 12K gold wire. The edges are reinforced with a continuous herringbone p...

18 carat golden paper knife with paperclips. Enamel de limoges, pearls and sapphire, circa 1900. French.

Beautiful hand-carved cameo with a left-facing profile of a young woman, set in a gold wire bezel and roped decorative framework.

This exceptional antique cameo, likely from England and dating to around 1850, is carved from a single-colored shell—a rarer choice compared to the more common layered varieties. It ...

Seamlessly mixing influences from around the world, Werner works with oft-overlooked materials--including her signature black iron--to create bold pieces of striking beauty. "I am am...

Vivid iridescent abalone set in sterling silver. Abstract Aztec emperor design by well known avant-garde artist Miguel Garcia Martinez. Martinez was an appretince to William Spratlin...

Mellerio Paris, A French Gold, Diamonds, Silver-Gilt, Rock-Crystal, Jade, Mother-Of-Pearl and Smoky Quartz, Carved Horse Sculpture, Jeweled Mounted Object. An extremely rare and unique, one of a kind French gold, diamonds, Silver-gilt, rock-crystal, jade, obsidian, mother-of-pearl, and smoky quartz carved jeweled sculpture "CHEVAUX DE LEGENDE", "A Legendary Horse" by Mellerio, Paris, circa 1991. Sitting on black obsidian base, the solid rock-crystal slab is finely applied with a carved smoky -quartz and jade horse with a harness mounted in 18k gold, brilliant -cut diamonds, rubies, turquoise, and amethyst chains and pendants. The top columns adorned with 18k gold and brilliant cut diamond pendants, the bottom with gold and mother of pearl plaques. The obsidian base with a plaque engraved: CHEVAUX DE LEGENDE" / N° 05 / MELLERIO DITS MELLER / PARIS / 5003 D The piece is in excellent condition and comes with a custom made wood case made for transport. It's very elegant and has French hallmarks throughout. A truly magnificent piece. Measures 10.5" high x 8.5" wide x 4" deep Founded in France in 1613 by the descendants of Italian immigrants from the Vigezzo Valley in the north of Italy, Mellerio is one of the oldest jewellery houses in Europe. The family business soon attracted the attention of the Royal Court and Marie Antoinette herself reportedly purchased a precious bracelet featuring 7 cameos surrounded by rubies in 1780. Later on, in the 19th century, Mellerio became the official supplier of the French Royal family and the Court of Netherland. Mellerio creates many jewellery items, all set with rare gems such as peridots, amethysts, aquamarines, citrines and topaz, applying for a patent, the flexible stem, a very supple and light jewellery mechanism. Mellerio remains also well known for their spectacular series of Art Nouveau jewels, created at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as for the creation of trophies rewarding some of the greatest footfall and tennis players of history. In 1993, the jewellery house launched their first watch collection. Today, Mellerio has stores in Paris, Japan and Hong Kong. July 14, 1789: this date is known throughout the world as the beginning of the French Revolution. According to a ledger belonging to House of Mellerio, this was also the day that the jeweler sold a golden key to the Comte de Coutance for 10 livres. This ledger, as well as inventories dating as far back as 1768, are the jeweler’s oldest archives. These archives have continued to grow over the years, as the House, established on rue de la Paix in Paris, still lives on today, still in the hands of the same family from Craveggia, in the North of Italy. The tumultuous history of the Mellerio family in France probably goes as far back as the Italian wars of the Renaissance, but the first official document proving their commercial activity in Paris dates back to 1613. This document is the famous royal warrant awarded by Marie de Medici to a number of Italian families established along the rue des Lombards, including the Mellerios, allowing them to sell “small jewelery items”, therefore granting them a small exception to the traditional monopoly enjoyed by Parisian jewelers. At that time, powerful corporations regulated the operations and customs of Parisian business, but thanks to this exceptional warrant, the Mellerios managed to escape the confines of this framework. Today, this wax-sealed document is kept at the city hall of Craveggia. From 1613 to the Revolution, the Mellerios lived between France and Italy. The corporations tried many times to put an end to their trade privileges, but all in vain, as a dynasty of sovereigns renewed the warrant. Always marrying and often retiring in Craveggia, the Mellerios continued to maintain their jewelry business in Paris. At first, they did this without a shop. Wearing backpacks (wooden boxes divided into small compartments where jewels were kept), they would tour town fairs around Paris and royal castles. This is how Jean-Baptiste Mellerio (1765-1850) is said to have sold a bracelet set with rubies and Antique cameos to Marie-Antoinette, which still exists today. Many elements seem to prove the veracity of this anecdote. The queen was particularly fond of cameos, which cover the entire background of her famous jewelry cabinet, and ruby was her favorite stone after diamond. The famous bracelet, reacquired a few years ago by the House of Mellerio, is indeed an 18th century jewel, set with antique cameos representing the profiles of Roman emperors. Two branches of the family were operating in Paris during this time, under the reign of Louis XVI: that of Jean-François (1746-1828), the paternal ancestor of the current Mellerios, and that of Jean-Baptiste (1765-1850). The French Revolution forced them to return to Italy. However, both Jean-Baptiste and François Mellerio (1772-1843), who was the son of Jean-François, were eventually able to return to Paris after the founding of the Consulate. Jean-Baptiste opened a shop at the Iron Crown of rue Vivienne, and François opened his at the Palais des Tuileries, rue du Coq Saint-Honoré. His well-organized order books give an idea of his high-ranking clientele during the “Old Regime”, among which were the Comte and Comtesse Octave de Segur, the Marquise (later Duchess) de Tourzel, former governess of the royal children, and her daughter, the Comtesse de Bearn, the Craufurds -who organized the flight to Varennes, the Duc and Duchess de Gramont, the Comtesse de Boigne, and Madame de Souza, Talleyrand’s mistress. We also see the names of the imperial family: Empress Josephine, the Queen of Holland, Princess Elisa, Caroline and Pauline. At that time, the House of Mellerio specialized, among other things, in the trade of antique cameos, a newly fashionable genre of jewel that captured the imagination of all the princesses and noble women of the time. The years of the Restauration and July Monarchy were among the most glorious. The Bourbons were back on the throne, and the clientele of the House of Mellerio had regained its former wealth. Mellerio supplied Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, as well as his mother, wife and sister, with sumptuous jewels, including a set of emeralds made piece by piece, while the Duke of Bourbon, last prince of the House of Condé, offered diamonds to his mistress, the scheming Baronne de Feucheres, and Monsieur de LaFayette also bought cameos for one of his granddaughters. For the first time, Mellerio ventured into the world of arts in 1815, when Carlotta Grisi, a famous dancer who created Giselle, as well as an actress named Rachel, bought jewels at the Mellerio store on rue de la Paix. 1848 marked a new turning point. France once again became a Republic. François Mellerio handed the company over to his son, Jean, and the latter decided to travel to Spain to build a new clientele. He later became one of the jewelers of the royal family, and met Eugénie de Montijo, who remained a faithful client when she became empress of the French people. The Imperial years were lavish. During the Second Empire, Paris was a pageant of crinoline dresses designed by Worth, while jewels by Mellerio, Worth’s neighbour on the rue de la Paix, adorned the noble women of the Tuileries court. The Empress bought pearls. Mathilde Bonaparte...