Man In the Moon Antiques Catalog

Antique Jewelry

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Accessories: This category includes things like cufflinks, hair combs, watch chains, purses, compacts, boxes, hair ornaments, vinaigrettes, and chatelaine pieces.
Agate - Scottish Agate - Moss Agate - Malachite: Scottish Agate - Agate or Pebble jewelry has long been crafted in Scotland. When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert they purchased Balmoral Castle in Scotland as a vacation home. She was very happy there and wanted to carry her joy home and purchased lots of Scottish Agate jewelry. (Victoria was known to be a lover of jewelry.) British ladies, wanting to emulate her, bought their own Scottish jewelry, setting off a trend for Scottish jewelry even if you had never been there. These pieces are usually set in sterling although they can be found in gold.
Austro-Hungarian Jewelry: The very ornate looking "Gypsy style" usually in silver.
Baby and Child Jewelry:
Beads:
Bog Oak: Bog Oak comes from oak trees which are beginning to be fossilized after being buried in peat bogs for hundreds to thousands of years. The low oxygen levels keep the wood from rotting while the acidic conditions of the peak allow iron salts to react with tannins in the wood turning it black and very hard. Bog Oak is found in the peat bogs of Ireland and most Bog Oak jewelry is a souvenir of Ireland, not necessarily mourning. Bog Oak can be distinguished from other Victorian black materials by a usually Irish subject matter ( shamrocks and castles) and a visible wood grain.
Bracelets:
Buckle Motif: The buckle motif in Victorian jewelry was inspired by the Order Of The Garter, the oldest and most senior order of British Knighthood.
Cameos:
Celluloid and Other Early Plastics:
Charms and Charm Bracelets:
Coral:
Cut Steel Jewelry: Cut steel jewelry can be made from faceted domes of steel individually riveted to the steel background or stamped out clusters of domes riveted to the background has a group. Cut steel was intended to mimic the dark silver sparkle of foiled rose cut diamonds.
Czechoslovakia Jewelry: The Czechs were master glass makers and produced glass jewelry in the 20s and 30s. These pieces were usually made from stamped filigree brass and quality glass pieces. Their work is very recognizable, and is often strongly art deco.
Earrings:
Egyptian Revival Jewelry: Inspired by the motifs of ancient Egypt this jewelry features sphinxs, scarabs, mummies, and sarcophagi. It was very popular in the art nouveau period, probably due to the naturalistic themes. There was a surge in popularity after the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1923. Most Egyptian Revival jewelry was from this period, however there was an earlier revival in the 1820s inspired by Napoleon's conquest of Egypt.
Essex Crystals: A Essex Crystal is a cabochon of rock crystal or glass carved on the back (flat) side and painted to produce a 3-D effect to the subject. The carving was often backed with mother of pearl. These are also considered to be reverse intaglio crystals.
Feathers:
Garnets: Victorian garnet jewelry was usually made using Bohemian garnets, which are from Czechoslovakia. They are a deep red color. They can be rose cut or flat cut, and can be foiled (backed by a small snippet of shiny tinfoil) or not.
Gold:
Gold Filled Jewelry:
Goldstone: Goldstone is a glittery glass containing copper crystals developed by Venetian glass makers in the seventeenth century.
Hair Combs and Ornaments: Victorian ladies had lots of hair that they wore twisted up on their heads. If they didn't have enough, they would supplement their hairstyles with added hair. During some time periods, ladies even wore elaborate powdered wigs. This gave them another place to adorn themselves with jewelry!
Hair Jewelry: Hair jewelry was usually made to memorialize a departed loved one, or as a sentimental token of affection. It was also worn just to be fashionable. Hair could be made into jewelry by utilizing several different techniques.

A simple lock of hair could be curled into a locket.

Hair painting was done using macerated (cut up finely) hair. The pieces of hair were mixed with the pigment and applied with it or could be treated like mosaic tiles and carefully set in place. This technique gave texture to the grass at people's feet or gave leaves to willow trees.

Table working hair makes hollow woven tubes and shapes, like globes or acorns, and is done by weaving the hair through a hole in the center of a small table. The woven strands are weighted to keep the weaving smooth.

Flat, curled hair designs, glued into shape and then glued to the background. They can be cut into petals or leaves and decorated with pearls or gold wire. These are usually set under glass.
Heintz and Heintz Style:
Horn Jewelry: Before the invention of plastic horn was used to make jewelry. Horn was pressed between iron plates and treated in water and oil baths in a long, nasty process to produce flat sheets. It could then be cut into jewelry and hair combs or pressed into molds. Horn can be identified by its light, plastic-like feel, glossy finish, and opaque translucence. With time the layers of pressed horn can separate, and insects will often chew on it (since it is organic).
Insects: Insect jewelry could be made from actual insects or just simply feature insect motifs.

Hard insects like beetles could be treated like gemstones and prong set into jewelry. Scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) are very common colorful beetles and were often used. Bright green metallic wood-boring beetles (Buprestidae) were and still are used for jewelry. Another very large family of beetles with many colorful members is the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae).

Butterfly wings could be made into jewelry, usually set under glass. The most common butterfly wing to be made into jewelry is that of the Morpho butterfly of South America. These butterfly wings are an iridescent blue even after years because the wings are covered with prisms which continue to split up light even after death. These pieces are often purchased as a souvenir of a trip to Rio and are usually found in silver or silver tone. Thomas L. Mott of England made sterling real butterfly wing jewelry from the Victorian period into the 1920's. This sterling English butterfly wing jewelry exploded in popularity after 1924 when it was exhibited at the British Exposition. This jewelry is an example of the jeweler's creativity in using materials other than gemstones to make beautiful, colorful jewelry.
Iron Pyrite - Fool's Gold: Iron pyrite is called fool's gold because it has a metallic sheen and a yellow color. Having a sparkle similar to rose cut diamonds, it has been used as a substitute for them in jewelry. "Pyrite" means a stone that makes sparks when struck on steel. Marcasites were originally cut from iron pyrite.
Jet Jewelry: Jet is a type of coal which is hard enough to be carved with great detail and can be polished to a glossy finish. It can be found all over the world but the best and most famous comes from Whitby in England. Jet was popular for its lightness, especially in the time period when oversized jewelry was fashionable. Being black,it was a popular material for mourning jewelry.
Kerr:
Lava Jewelry: Victorians loved to travel and took Grand Tours of Europe, purchasing souvenirs in every city along the way. Victorian lava generally comes from Vesuvius in Pompeii, Italy. The ruins of Pompeii were discovered in 1748, and became a popular tourist destination. Lava is a soft rock that can be carved easily. This lava is actually volcanic rock not really lava,but the term has stuck.
Lockets:
Love Token Jewelry: Love tokens are sentimental charms of affection and remembrance. They are made by smoothing off one side of a gold or silver coin and re-engraving it with initials, a name, or a picture. The other side is untouched. They are usually drilled and attached to a jewelry finding.
Mizpah Jewelry: Mizpah is Hebrew for "watchtower". In the biblical story of Jacob and Laban, they built a pile of stone to mark their agreement, with God has a witness. In Genesis, Laban says to Jacob, "The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent, one from another". Giving a piece of mizpah jewelry was saying to someone "God watch over you". This jewelry was exchanged by two people who had an emotional bond, and was believed to help strengthen the bond.
Mosaics: Glass mosaics are made by cutting and gluing many tiny glass tiles into a background to form a picture. The older the pieces are, the smaller the tiles and the more detailed the picture. Rome is famous for glass mosaics, and many were purchased there has souvenirs of The Grand Tour.
Napier:
Necklaces:
Onyx Jewelry: Onyx was a popular choice for mourning jewelry because it is black.
Other Designer Pieces: Original by Robert - Beau Sterling - Shiebler - Krementz - Austria - Pennino - Silson - Hollycraft - Korda Thief of Bagdad - Ocean Treasures - Mazer - Wendy Gell - Kalo - Forstner - Kerr - Nettie Rosenstein
Paste: Paste stones have been used instead of genuine stones. Paste is high lead crystal called "paste" because when heated it doesn't go all the way to a liquid but stays a malleable paste. These costume pieces are collectible in their own right.
Peacock Eye Glass: Peacock eye glass cabochons and beads were often used in art nouveau and arts and crafts period jewelry. They were made in Bohemia from the late eighteen hundreds on by layering green glass over foil and adding cobalt blue spots. They resemble the eyes of peacock tail feathers.
Pendants:
Pietra Dura Jeweley: Pietra Dura (hard stone in Italian ) mosaic pieces were made by cutting small pieces of stone and assembling them into a background to form a picture. The Italian city of Florence was famous for its Pietra Dura and many were purchased there by victorians as souvenirs of their Grand Tour.
Pins - Including Sash Pins: SASH PINS - Sash pins were large heavy pins with thick pin stems from around 1890 through 1915. The fashion at this time was to wear a sash over the shoulder and across the chest (like Queen Victoria); or with the lighter Edwardian fashions, around the waist. These pins were used to secure the sash to the dress and were large and heavy to pin through multiple layers of cloth. They come in many styles and motifs.
Rhinestone Jewelry:
Rings:
Satsuma: Satsuma pottery was made in Japan in the 1800's. With an ivory body and enamel over glaze, it was a popular export. It was used to make belt buckles, belts, buttons and other accessories in Japan,which were often made into jewelry and sold to the West. Many Satsuma jewelry pieces were made from these decorative utilitarian objects. Designs feature Geisha Girls, butterflies, cranes, flowers and dragons.
Sets:
Silesian Wirework: Silesian wirework is Georgian or early Victorian woven iron wire jewelry, thought to be made in Silesia.
Silver and Sterling - Siam Sterling:
Snake Jewelry and Ouroboros: Snakes were a popular subject for Victorian jewelry. The Victorians were fascinated by the classical world which was coming to life for them due to many archaeological discoveries during this period. The classical peoples thought snakes were important,so the Victorians did too. Classical people considered snakes to be the ultimate worshiper of the Mother Earth because they laid their entire bodies down upon her. To them, snakes were sacred symbols. The Christian Bible turned the snake into an evil character to overcome this belief and aid in the conversion of pagans to Christianity. To the Christian philosopher, the snake sloughing off his skin represents the transmigration of souls - the soul passes from life to life in the eternal cycle of life and death.

Ouroboros - This is the oldest mystical symbol in the world. It came to the West from Egypt via Greco-Roman culture. "Ouroboros" means "the tail-devourer". It is a snake forming a circle by swallowing his own tail or forming a lemniscate (symbol for infinity).

Ouroboros symbolizes Infinity. On a deeper level it symbolizes wholeness in the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth - the eternal return. In mourning jewelry this would be resurrection and the rebirth of a soul into heaven.

On a even deeper philosophical level, as Ouroboros swallows his tail (the past), it seems to disappear but is never really gone. It is only moved onto a internal plane. Out of sight, but not out of mind - never really gone from your heart.
Stick Pins:
Stuart Crystal: Stuart crystals were first made in 1649 to memorialize the execution by Cromwell of King Charles the first, of the House of Stuart. They were usually small pieces since showing support for an executed monarch could be dangerous. They were made by setting faceted rock crystal into gold or silver on top of a foil backing with a gold wire design on it. They could also have sentimental tokens, like a bit of hair or a piece of cloth, incorporated under the crystal. In 1714, Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, died. After this, Stuart crystals were still made, but they were personal mourning pieces or love tokens. They went out of style around 1735.
Suffragette: Edwardian jewelry in the colors of green, white, and purple can be called suffragette jewelry. Wearing this signaled your support for the women's suffrage movement. The Green, White and Violet colors stood for Give Woman Votes. In the British suffrage movement, purple stood for Loyalty, white for Purity, and green for Hope.
Tiffany and Co.:
Vauxhall Glass: Vauxhall glass jewelry was made from thin pieces of mirrored colored glass. It was popular in both the Georgian and Victorian periods. It was made at the Vauxhall Glass Works in London. The thin pieces of glass are very fragile and this makes the pieces fairly scarce, especially in great condition.
Vegetable Ivory: Vegetable Ivory is made from the tagua nut, the seed of a South American palm tree. It is very dense and can be carved like ivory. It is white when fresh but turns yellow with age. Victorian vegetable ivory is usually a characteristic light brown.
Victorian Revival Jewlelry:
Vinaigrettes and Perfume Holders: These were popular accessories during both the Georgian and Victorian eras.
Vinaigrettes would contain a sponge or a piece of cloth that could be soaked with vinegar. When a lady felt faint due to either severe corseting or the noxious odors of the unsanitary streets, she could take a whiff of vinegar for restoration.

Perfume holders would be filled with perfume or scented oil to cover-up unpleasant odors. A lady could, again, take a sniff if offended. She could also keep her perfume fresh all day , and surround herself with pleasant odor. This could be important in the days before indoor plumbing and wash and wear clothing.
Vulcanite Jewelry: Vulcanite is one of the earliest man-made plastics, patented about 1846. It was in heavy usage during the Civil War years. During this time period, massive jewelry was in vogue, and many woman were in mourning. Vulcanite, being plastic, was cheap and light while still being the mandatory mourning black. Vulcanite jewelry is never carved, but always molded, and smells like burning rubber when heated.
Watch Cock Cover Jewelry: Watch cock covers were made to protect the delicate balance wheel of late 18th century fusee driven pocket watches. They are handmade unique beautiful works of filigree art. They are usually gold gilt. In Victorian times, when the watches became obsolete, jewelers collected them and made jewelry.

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