Antique Victorian earrings. Gold (see below for purity) and tiny pearls. Bought in Paris and with French hallmarks, but possibly English. Made circa 1870's.
Measurements:
Weight is 11.5 grams. 1 3/4 inches (4.5cm) long, not including the wires.
Description :
During the 2nd half of the 19th century, the Victorians were obsessed with Classic Revivals, in particular the Etruscan period with its fine filigree and granulation work. This is a fabulous example of Neo Classic Revivalism. It has tear-shaped surmounts descending from simple gold wires. These are linked via loops to the main body of the earrings in the form of perfectly round globes, each with a trilobed pearl set leaf at the top. The circumference with swags of ropetwist around a row of graduated gold beads. The bottoms with a graduated fringe of articulated linear drops. The loops connecting sections allow freedom of movement and each element of the fringe also moves, swinging back and forth as the wearer moves. Some lines are simple with pointed edges, while the outer and central line are ropetwist with golden granulation at the end.
The earrings are beautifully made and of the finest quality. Great design and wonderful sense of movement. Comfortable to insert and wear. It is possible that the wires are replacements which is the case with most earrings from this period, but there are no signs of alteration/soldering.
Marks and Metal:
It is not unusual for gold, prior to the 20th century to be somewhat mixed in purity. The wires each have a pair of shell hallmarks, used in France to denote 14k. When tested electronically (with Auracle AGT3), we got mixed results - partially 14k and partially 22k with some results flashing at 18k. We are guaranteeing 14k to be on the safe, conservative side.
Condition:
Good with negligible wear commensurate with age. Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.
