Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Gold: Art Nouveau (171)

A delightful Art Nouveau daisy pendant/pin, the petals formed from long Mississippi river pearls arranged around a textured gold disc studded with an old mine cut diamond. The pearls have very attractive lustre and the diamond has nice color and clarity (J/VS2). The back retains the original pendant hook and pinstem/clasp. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

NOTE: The pendant is shown with an optional 16" 14K chain.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900.
• Dimensions: 1" diameter.
• Weight: 4.9 grams.
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .10 carat.

A wonderful 18K yellow gold brooch depicting Diana (Artemis in the Greek pantheon), goddess of the hunt, animals (wild and domestic), and childbirth. She was also the protector of girls until marriage. Here she is shown with her The goddess is shown wearing her moon-studded tiara and with her bow and arrow attribute. This design was created by the nobleman Prosper, Comte d'Epinay de Briort, one of France's leading sculptors in the Art Nouveau style. He favored mythological subjects and sometimes animals. Epinay de Briort often produced pieces for Boucheron. The brooch could be converted to a pendant with the addition of a bail. The pin is stamped with French 18K marks.

• France, ca. 1900.
• Excellent condition; sharp details.
• 1" diameter.
• 4.6 grams.

A beautiful Art Nouveau 14K yellow gold locket, the front cover decorated with a maiden and songbirds. The woman has long, flowing hair in the typical Art Nouveau style, and wears a band of flowers at the top of her head. Groups of songbirds cluster on branches along the outer edges. The background is finely worked in a textured pattern. The interior retains both of its original frames. The back has a period three-letter monogram "GSB". Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900.
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail.
• Size: 15/16" diameter (excluding bail).
• Weight: 8.0 grams.

A wonderful Art Nouveau 14K gold ring in the form of two intertwined snakes surrounding an opal cabochon. The ornately coiled snakes are beautifully detailed. The opal has attractive play-of-color, with a preponderance of green and blue with sparks of red and orange. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

In the 19th century, snakes in jewelry symbolized eternal love. Jeweled snakes became particularly popular after Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a snake ring for their betrothal, and remained popular throughout the century.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900
• Dimensions: 3/8" wide tapering to 1/16"
• Condition: excellent
• Finger Size: 7
• Weight: 3.1 grams

This Art Nouveau medallion brooch depicts the beautiful Ophelia (spelled “Ophelie” in the French tradition), surrounded by cattails, willow branches and waterlilies, as symbols of watery grave in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Her hair is studded with small old mine cut diamonds. This design was created by the French jeweler and sculptor Emile-Séraphin Vernier (1852-1927) for the 1908 Exposition de la Parure Précieuse de la Femme in Paris. Like many other Art Nouveau medalists, Vernier licensed some of his designs to various manufacturing jewelers around the world. This example is American and is marked 14K. The brooch retains its original watch hook and pinstem/clasp.

NOTE: The brooch could easily be worn as a pendant with the addition of a folding bail to the back.

• Origin: America, ca. 1908.
• Condition: excellent; sharp detail; all original.
• Dimensions: 1” diameter.
• Weight: 7.4 grams.
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .10 carat.

An elegant Art Nouveau 14K yellow gold locket depicting the head of a lion in 3/4 profile on the cover. His eyes are set with round faceted rubies (natural and untreated) and he grasps a 5-pt old European cut diamond in his jaws. The flowing mane is just visible behind the head and blends into the swirling border that completes the design. The plain back cover was never engraved.

• America, ca 1890
• Very good condition; a few small pinpoints on the back cover
• 1-1/8" diameter
• 6.5 grams
• Approximate Gemstone Weight: diamond, .05 carat; ruby, .05 carat

A delightful pair of Art Nouveau daisy stud earrings, the petals formed from Mississippi River pearls arranged around a textured gold disc representing the flower's seed head. The freshwater pearls have attractive luster that contrasts nicely with the brightness of the gold. Tested and guaranteed 14K. These earrings would look particularly nice worn with a very similar pearl daisy pendant (Item #1402839) in our collection.

• Origin: America, ca 1900
• Condition: exellent; converted from the original screwbacks
• Dimensions: 1/2" diameter
• Weight: 2.2 grams

A gorgeous enameled pansy, worked in several shades of bluish-purple is featured in this ring converted from a Victorian pin. The enamel has a soft velvety appearance and is accented at the center with a small pearl. The pansy is set on a sturdy 14K gold split shank. Pansies are generally associated with remembrance, but in Victorian flower symbology, they also carried the sentiment, "Think of me." So whether you're in love or just feeling nostalgic, this ring is perfect! Tested and guaranteed 14K.

NOTE: We are offering a matching pendant converted from the same Victorian pin. Item #1412579

• Origin: America, ca. 1900
• Condition: converted from a brooch; no enamel damage
• Dimensions: crown, 3/4" x 11/16"
• Finger Size: 6 1/2
• Weight: 4.0 grams.

Three rich deeply-colored pear-shaped sapphires for the petals of the trefoil in this elegant pendant necklace. The flower is centered with a rose cut diamond. The sapphires are excellent quality with a velvety violetish-blue appearance. The trefoil’s stem curls around on itself to for the Art Nouveau styled border of the pendant. The 18K pendant was originally a brooch but has been given new life as a pendant necklace with the addition of a 14K gold cable chain.

• Origin: France, ca 1900.
• Condition: excellent.
• Dimensions: pendant, 11/16” diameter; necklace length, 18-1/2”.
• Weight: 8.2 grams.
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: sapphire, .89 carat; diamond, .02 carat.

A gorgeous enameled pansy, worked in several shades of purple and lavender is featured in this ring converted from a Victorian earring. The enamel has a soft velvety appearance and is accented at the center with a small pearl. The pansy is set on a sturdy 14K gold split shank. Pansies are generally associated with remembrance, but in Victorian flower symbology, they also carried the sentiment, "Think of me." So whether you're in love or just feeling nostalgic, this ring is perfect!

• Origin: America, ca. 1900.
• Condition: converted; a miniscule fleabite to the enamel at the edge of one petal.
• Dimensions: crown, 3/4" x 11/16".
• Finger Size: 7.
• Weight: 5.8 grams.

A particularly lovely Art Nouveau enameled 14K gold flower pin in the form of an iris. The flower is enhanced with iridescent enamels in delicate shades of green, cream and purple. A 3-point old mine cut diamond is nestled in the center of the blossom. The flower petals are deeply ruffled and finely engraved for added texture. The back retains the original clasp, stamped with the mark for Whiteside & Blank, but the pinstem has been replaced.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent; no enamel damage; replaced pinstem. Dimensions: 1-3/4 x 11/16". Weight: 5.7 gr.

A stunning Art Nouveau medallist brooch depicting Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, and patron of the arts, in 18K gold. The goddess is depicted with several of her attributes, including a dragon-topped war helmet, a wreath of olive leaves, an owl, and a drama mask representing the arts. Her helmet is studded with a star-set ruby and a band of rose-cut diamonds and she wears a necklace of rose-cut diamonds. This design was created by Louis Armand Rault, a lead designer for Boucheron 1868-75. This is once of his most iconic designs, though it is unusual in having quite so many gemstones added. Rault apparently licensed many of his designs to various makers, though the gold examples are French more often than not. This example is fully stamped with French marks for 18K and has an illegible maker's mark. The front is also marked with Rault's monogram. The pin could easily be converted to a pendant with the addition of a folding bail.

• Origin: France, ca. 1880.
• Condition: excellent; sharp detail; all original.
• Dimensions: 1" diameter.
• Weight: 5.0 grams.
• Approximate Gemstone Weight: ruby, .02 carat; diamond, .05 carat.

A fine Art Nouveau medallist brooch depicting Demeter (Ceres), goddess of the harvest, in 18K gold by Louis Rault. She is shown in profile with several of her attributes a tiara of wheat and poppies and a scythe. The wears a rose-cut diamond earring, a diamond toga clasp, and a third in her tiara. Louis Armand Rault was a lead designer for Boucheron 1868-75 and this is one of his signature designs. The brooch is stamped with French 18K gold marks and also with an illegible maker's mark. The front is also marked with Rault's monogram. The brooch could easily be converted to a pendant with the addition of a folding bail.

• Origin: France, ca. 1880.
• Condition: excellent; sharp detail; all original.
• Dimensions: 1" diameter.
• Weight: 7.4 grams.
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .03 carat.

An elegant Art Nouveau 14K gold pendant and watch pin depicting the Greek goddess Pallas Athena. The design is worked in the medallist style more typical of French Art Nouveau jewelry, but this piece is American. The workmanship is first rate. Athena was the goddess of wisdom, horses and olives, and was the patroness of Athens. Here she is shown wearing her helmet, but it is adorned with wings instead of the usual dragon. Her identity is confirmed, however, with the sprigs of olive leaves and fruit tucked into her helmet. The edges of the pendant are set with small natural pearls. The back is stamped "14K" and retains the original folding bail, pinstem and watch hook.

NOTE: The pendant is shown with an optional 16" 14K gold chain.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900.
• Condition: excellent; sharp details; all original.
• Dimensions: 1-1/8" diameter.
• Weight: 6.0 grams.

Art Nouveau 14K gold crescent pendant necklace set with round brilliant cut diamonds and rubies. The quality of the gemstones is superb, with VVS2/G diamonds and vivid very slightly purplish-red rubies that show no indications of heat treatment. In Victorian and early Edwardian jewelry, the crescent shape symbolized feminine power personified in the moon goddess Selene/Juno. Brides were often given a crescent pin to wear during their honeymoons. This cresent was originally a brooch and has been converted into a split-chain pendant necklace. The symbology and striking color is perfect for today's strong woman! Marked 14K.

• Origin: America, ca 1900.
• Dimensions: pendant, 1-1/16" wide; overall necklace length, 19".
• Condition: excellent.
• Weight: 3.9 grams.
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, .35 carat; diamond, .22 carat.

A lovely Art Nouveau depiction of the Greek goddess Iris worked in 14K yellow gold. The goddess wears an elaborate floral headdress punctuated with an old mine cut diamond. Her wings, in folded position, can just be seen behind her shoulders. The brooch is finished with a garland of iris blossoms and foliage. Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and, as such, connected the earthly and heavenly worlds. The back of the brooch retains the original c-clasp and watch hook. It can easily be converted to a pendant with the addition of a bail at the top. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900.
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail; the pinstem appears to be original, but is not gold.
• Dimensions: 1" diameter.
• Weight: 10.3 grams.
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .02 carat.

A stunning Art Nouveau 14K yellow gold locket, the cover with repousse decoration illustrating the Byzantine Empress Theodora. Though we’ve never seen this particular design before, Byzantine motifs were widely used in Art Nouveau jewels, especially in France where they were copied from costumes created for the actress Sarah Bernhardt and posters by Alphonse Mucha. The Empress is sumptuously dressed in a flowing robe with a wide jeweled collar, bracelets and earrings. She wears a heavy crown and sits on a throne. The quality of decoration is excellent. The back of the locket has a period three-letter monogram in elegant Art Nouveau script. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• America, ca. 1900
• Excellent condition; sharp detail; a few small dings on the back side
• Dimensions: 1-5/32” diameter
• 5.7 grams

An astonishing figural pendant necklace featuring a natural semi-baroque pearl in the shape of a pear, accented with platinum and 18K yellow gold leaves and a stem, all set with old European cut diamonds. The pearl has very fine orient, with all the colors of the rainbow skating over the creamy white surface. The diamonds are graded at an average of H/SI1. Converted from an Edwardian stickpin, the pear is now a gorgeous pendant hanging from a French 18K white gold chain.

NOTE: The pendant is also available without the chain for $1050.

• France, ca. 1910.
• Excellent condition; pendant converted from a stickpin.
• Pendant, 11/16" x 1/2"; overall necklace length, 16-3/8".
• 3.8 grams.
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .26 carat.