COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 43, NO. 43 FRIDAY OCTOBER 26, 2012
Souvenir Jewelry Of The Grand Tour And The British Isles
By Jane H. Clarke
he Grand Tour was the standard European vacation of the Georgian and Victorian eras. The opportunity it gave for studying culture, architecture and art made it a tradition, especially for the upper classes. And what better souvenir of this long trip than pieces of native souvenir jewelry such as Italian cameo, mosaic and pietra dura pieces. These were popular for decades, and can still be purchased today although not often in as good a quality. During this same period there was souvenir jewelry from the British Isles as well, including Scottish agate “pebble” jewelry and Whitby jet, also typical of their areas of manufacture. Historically inspired jewelry was prompted in the Victorian era by the study of ancient Pompeii, Egypt, Greece and Rome. These motifs included designs from wall paintings, floor tiles and
T
Mosaic brooch with small multi-colored flowers on a black background, marked “Italy” on the back, set in gold tone, 20th century safety catch on the back, 1”.
excavated jewelry. Heavier Renaissance and Medieval style jewelry combined well with the heavier Victorian fashions as well, and later in the 19th century Oriental motifs provided further inspiration. Plant collecting was a passionate Victorian hobby, and these natural motifs were also reflected in jewelry. Amazing novelty jewelry was made of everything from small real birds to beetles and other insects. What we today might think grotesque they saw as innovative, and reflective of their interest in nature, science and leisure activities. Mosaics as a form of art and decoration go back literally thousands of years to the ancient world. Mosaics can be seen as early as Mesopotamia, and the Greeks and Romans with their wonderful mosaics were studied by many of us in high school. Used mostly for decorating walls and pavements, it later became popularly used in jewelry as well. Mosaics were made primarily in Italy, and there are two kinds of mosaic inlay techniques which have been practiced there for hundreds of years, “pietra dura” and “mosaic” work. They were created in two different cities, pietra dura in Florence and mosaics in Rome. Pietra dura, in Italian, means “hard stone”, and it has the look of a jigsaw puzzle with closely fitting pieces on a black background. The materials were often so closely fitted together that the seams were all but invisible, and the stones used included semi-precious malachite, lapis, aventurine and turquoise. Mosaic and micro mosaic work uses inlaid glass tessera or rods fitted closely to form landscapes and other motifs like doves or flowers. Mosaic jewelry was made by setting the colored pieces into a black
CAMEOS What is more classic and timeless than a cameo? Though they long pre-date the Victorian era, for Victorians who loved travel a cameo repre-
gods and goddesses or mythological characters, and some of just attractive ladies and gentlemen. Although thought of as primarily an Italian art, there were also cameo carvers in America and other countries. The quality and beauty of carving is the prime factor determining value, but cameos set in precious metal ornamented with diamonds, seed
stone or “pebble” jewelry was encouraged by Queen Victoria and it began as a souvenir of her trips to Scotland. From the mid1800s Queen Victoria frequented cement or mortar backScotland and her Scottish castle, g r o u n d . Balmoral, and Scotland became a Pictures and popular place to view the sites, shading were with Scottish dress and jewelry created by being fashionable, too. By the using diflater 1800s it was being made in ferent colEngland and Germany as o r e d Victorian micro-mosaic locket well. Agate comes in many pieces. pendant with aqua back- colors and the lovely or Once travel ground and daisy motif, unusual striations can add to became popuwonderful colors, set in their desirability. Usually set lar, these were 15 carat yellow gold, 1- in silver, they did set some produced in 1/2” by 1-1/3” pendant pieces in both karat gold and sented a greater quantities with 1/3” loop. meaningjeweler’s metal as well. The to supply the tourist pearls or enam- stones themselves included ful and trade. To determine qualieling are most jasper, bloodstone and other wearable ty, look for small elements d e s i r a b l e . agates, and some were also set souvenir of a with well When buy- with Cairngorms citrines and G r a n d made ing a cameo, be amethysts. Worn with everything European Tour, sure to check its from Levis to the typical plaids, and could be condition by these cannot be beat as a wonderpassed down holding the cameo ful accessory. The price of from generaup to the light to Victorian agate jewelry has tion to generadetect possible cracks. almost doubled in the past 10 tion. Both men and women wore years, so get yours cameos set as neckwhile you can. Watch laces and brooches, that the settings are as well as rings and intact and the agates earrings for women, well set into the piece. and watch fobs, JET rings and stick pins During the part of for men. The Victorian the Victorian period fascination with all from about 1860 to things historic is demon1890, Whitby jet jewstrated in the classical elry was the height of Greek profiles and fashion and black was closely motifs. a stylish color, not just fitting designs. Pieces set in karat mythological an ornament of gold may command higher prices Reflecting the Victorians love of gardenmourning. Although too, but only if ing and nature, it had been made in the workmanship floral cameos Whitby years before, is of great qualiwere also popuwhen Queen Victoria ty. lar in the later began wearing it, its Older mosaic Victorian era. popularity exploded. pieces tend to be Carved in Mosaic brooch in green with colorful roses and forget-me-nots, Black jewelry was more intricate seashell, ivory, on original card, circa 1940, brooch 1-3/4” by 1-1/3”. made of jet, vulcanand well-made, jet, lava or ite, bog oak or with smaller stone, cameos There is no way to repair a broken pressed horn, and while some pieces to form could be cameo so buy selectively. pieces were just beautifully the mosaics and set in AGATE carved, others carried a special often done in preBritish souvenir jewelry meaning as a memento of a loved softer colors came along with the easier one. A brooch in the shape of a with greater transportation during hand carrying a bouquet condetail. There can the early veyed a message symbolized by be hundreds of Victorian decades of the flowers. Photos might be pieces in a single S c o t t i s h Q u e e n housed inside lockets and watch inch of the very agate tar- Vi c t o r i a ’s fobs, and portraits hand painted best mosaics. get brooch They are also w i t h reign when on pendants and earrings. While more often set in b r o w n the English some black jewelry was meant to karat gold than b a n d e d were riding be worn during mourning, black agate and on trains to jewelry was fashionable as well, the 20th century gray Montrose see parts of and worn for its beauty and senticious pieces, which agate with a green their coun- ment alone. It is not always easy or nonwere generally half-ball center, try that were to determine which black materiprecious made for a mass marked on the back farther away al has been used, there are determetals. Some cameos market and a In England silver”, and harder mining factors. For photographs are portraits of real “Made lower price 2-1/8”. peoto reach and information on identifying point. A mosaic traveling these materials, see missing any of by horse. http://www.morninggloryanthe tiny pieces P u b l i c tiques.com/collectVictJetPins.ht will be of lower t r a n s - ml. Jet was the most expensive value, so look portation and difficult to make of all the closely when m a d e black jewelry. Jet was hand buying. Also vacations carved, while the other materials watch for Victorian pietra dura white and within the were pressed or molded. Jet is the breaks in the pale pink morning glories bar British Isles black fossilized wood of a particblack back- pin with green leaves, simple but setting circa 1890, 2-1/2” by p l e , more available to ular tree that grew millions of g r o u n d . lovely some of the masses, and along years ago. It is particularly assoTreat these 7/8”. with that came the sou- ciated with the English town of little pieces with the care they Victorian Scottish Montrose deserve as they can be damaged, agate buckle bracelet, 6-7/8” wearable venir jewelry from some of the Whitby where the best jet was and once damaged, are all but length, 1-1/3” buckle width and 3/4” band different vacations spots. The mined and much of it was popularity of Victorian Scottish width. (Continued on page 2) impossible to repair. Victorian micro-mosaic ring with dove motif set in 18 karat yellow gold, 3/4” front.