Antique Victorian Enamelled Gold Earrings

Antique jewellery object group: earrings long hanging

Condition: good condition

Country of origin: This can be of French of Belgian origin

Style: Victorian – Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior decoration. Victorian design is widely viewed as having indulged in a regrettable excess of ornament. The Arts and Crafts movement, the aesthetic movement, Anglo-Japanese style, and Art Nouveau style have their beginnings in the late Victorian era.

Style specifics: The Romantic Victorian Period – Experts divide the reign of Queen Victoria, also called The Victorian era (1837 – 1901) into three periods of about twenty years each; The Romantic Victorian Period (1837 – 1860), The Grand Victorian Period (1860 -1880), and the Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period (1880 – 1901).

We consider this to be of the Romantic Victorian Period. This period covers the coronation of Victoria as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and her marriage to King Albert and their love, their devotion to their marriage and to their country are the sources of inspiration for this period. The jewels of this period are made of intricate carvings, special techniques where the enamel is subtly worked. These techniques allowed to give the jewel a certain opulence with less precious metal needed. As precious metals were really rare at that time. Highly favoured (semi-) precious stones in this period are amethyst, coral, garnets, seed pearls and turquoises. The connotation is obviously sentimental, symbolic and romantic with reminiscent Gotic and/or Renaissance patterns and an abundant use of motifs like anchors, birds, branches, crosses, hearts and snakes.

Period: ca. 1830

Material: 18ct yellow gold

Technique: Enamelling is an old and widely-adopted technology. The ancient Egyptians applied enamels to pottery and stone objects. The ancient Greeks, Celts, Russians, and Chinese also used enamelling processes on metal objects. Enamel is the colourful result of fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 degrees Celsius. The powder melts and flows and hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic. According to some sources, the word enamel comes from the High German word smelzan (to smelt) via the Old French esmail. Used as a noun, “an enamel” is a usually small decorative object, coated with enamel coatings, such as a champlevé or a cloisonné (different techniques).

Hallmarks: Illegible remains.

Dimensions: height 7,23 cm (2,85 inch)

Weight: 5,20 gram (3,34 dwt)