Victorian Art Nouveau Hat Pin with Cultured Pearl in Gold Talon, 1900s

A necessity during the Victorian Era, hat pins not only balanced precarious hats atop piles of hair but also moonlighted as weapons against overzealous gentlemen. Though teetering ha...

A necessity during the Victorian Era, hat pins not only balanced precarious hats atop piles of hair but also moonlighted as weapons against overzealous gentlemen. Though teetering ha...

A necessity during the Victorian Era, hat pins not only balanced precarious hats atop piles of hair but also moonlighted as weapons against overzealous gentlemen. Though teetering ha...

A necessity during the Victorian Era, hat pins not only balanced precarious hats atop piles of hair but also moonlighted as weapons against overzealous gentlemen. Though teetering ha...

A necessity during the Victorian Era, hat pins not only balanced precarious hats atop piles of hair but also moonlighted as weapons against overzealous gentlemen. Though teetering ha...

A necessity during the Victorian Era, hat pins not only balanced precarious hats atop piles of hair but also moonlighted as weapons against overzealous gentlemen. Though teetering ha...

Articulated lorgnette in gold finely guilloché. The border is decorated with finely chiseled foliage. A medallion in the form of a shield includes a monogram. Articulated lorgnette i...

BADGE WITH ST. JAMES THE GREAT Northern Spain, 16th century Silver, jet Weight 18.2 grams; dimensions 44 × 43 × 12 mm Round pendant with high-relief image of St. James the Great of Santiago de Compostela carved in jet. The saint is flanked by two pilgrims (their heads defaced); each holds a staff and rosary in his hand. Silver mount with plain flat backplate, corded wire surround and toothed edge as setting. Four pendant loops for sewing onto a hat or cloak. According to the Roman naturalist Pliny, jet, the material of which this pin was made, prevented snakebite and was “thrown up by the sea.” The first quality would certainly have been reassuring for a pilgrim who owned this object and who had to make long journeys over unfamiliar terrain. The second quality made jet an especially fitting material to honor St. James, given that his body arrived in Spain mysteriously, carried there “by the sea” from the Holy Land. Santiago de Compostela was a major center for jet carving from the late Middle Ages, and highly polished jet was a desirable and common material for pilgrimage souvenirs. One even finds scallop shells, the pilgrim’s badge...

Antique, Italian 18 carats gold mesh handbag with chain. Ideal for a gala event. With blue stones. No hallmarks or stamps, but tested as gold. Circa ...

14 Karat Ridged Tie Bar. Simple design yet sophisticated piece that will add a nice detail to any tie. The top of the tie bar has a zig-zag design and the enti...

Platinum Diamond Cross Tie Tack and Clutch. Simple yet elegant design with a single 4.0 mm round diamond as the focal point Diamond is VS1 [G.I.A.] in clarity...

Circa 1872, this antique brass U.S. Army Dress Cap Badge is a rare and unusual find. The battalion marking, 258, is proudly displayed across the eagle's ches...