Restored and Redesigned, New Victorian and Art Deco Pendants
As jewelers, we are collectors and treasure hunters. One of our great passions is restoring the craftsmanship of jewelry from eras long past. As such pieces hold a historical significance, here we would like to share the stories behind our latest curation of antique pendants: Victorian Lockets, Victorian Symbols, and Art Deco Bows.
Victorian Lockets
Perhaps no other piece of jewelry is more sentimental than the locket. Lockets were derived from ancient amulets, pendants believed to carry magical powers of protection. Today they are used as symbols of love and memory in which one might carry an image or object from a loved one. Although lockets have been dated back to the Middle Ages, it was Queen Victoria who, during her British reign from 1819-1901, transformed the locket into a jewelry icon.
As a popular and powerful queen, Victoria’s personal styles tremendously influenced the fashions of that time. Her husband, Prince Albert, gifted Victoria a charm bracelet with eight lockets, each one containing a lock of hair from each of their eight children. When Albert tragically passed and the country entered an intense state of mourning, Victoria started wearing a black locket with a photograph and lock of hair from her beloved husband. Thusly, Victoria transformed the locket into a symbol of mourning and remembrance.
Shown above, we have curated a collection of Victorian Era lockets in a spectrum of styles. We collected each piece for its uniqueness and exceptional condition. Cleaned, restored, and given a new chain, they are ready to be personalized as your historical and sentimental treasure.
Victorian Symbols
The Victorians spoke in a hidden language of symbols. It was during the 18th Century that the cultivation of feelings became fashionable and cultural shift towards romanticism and mysticism played out in a conservative society. This led the Victorians to embed secret messages and feelings into just about everything- from architecture and art to flowers, dress, and of course, jewelry.
Here we have restored and redesigned a collection of symbolic jewelry from that time. The horseshoe represents luck and protection from evil. The heart-shaped padlock was originally worn to represent love and loyalty (“thou hast the key”), and in the fox head we have a symbol of transformation (the Victorians were also all around fascinated with natural history). The heart-shaped pendant adorned with pearls and arrows represents both love and mortality. The heart pendant with a wishbone symbolizes love and luck, and the overlapping hearts represent love, passion and charity.
Art Deco Bow Pendants
Before the iconic geometric motifs of the roaring 1920’s, early Art Deco Era designs were influenced by the romance and elegance of the previous Edwardian Era. This collection of bow pendants dates to this time in history and represents one of the more popular motifs in design.
The bows were hand fabricated out of white gold using a traditional filigree metalwork technique. Filigree is a method of twisting and soldering metal threads into ornate patterns, evoking a lace-like effect. Although the bows were originally made as brooches, we modernized their look by attaching chains and converting them into necklaces. Given their delicate details, each piece is in impeccable condition and a true representation of skilled craftsmanship and artistry.
Jewelry Spotlight- Rings From Outer Space
At D&H it is our passion to curate and design distinctive collections of jewelry. Rings made from meteorite– genuine meteorite from Outer Space—are amongst some of our most unique pieces. Not only does meteorite jewelry have an incredible back-story, the meteorite itself embodies a striking natural beauty.
Meteors have fallen to Earth for billions of years. Those that have survived have been discovered and used by ancient civilizations to make tools and weapons. Meteorite was even highly prized in ancient Egypt (“iron from the sky”), and national news was recently made when a meteorite dagger was discovered in the tomb of King Tut.
The Gibeon meteorite, one of the world’s finest specimens, landed in what is now Namibia, Africa. It is approximately four billion years old, and it is what we use in our collection of meteorite rings. Gibeon meteorite is comprised primarily of iron, but also contains small amounts of nickel, cobalt, and phosphorus. Its distinctive crystalline structure was created as these elements cooled during the meteor’s formation in Outer Space.
At D&H, sheets of Gibeon meteorite are milled into an inlay within a precious metal ring. The cool grey color of the meteorite is a beautiful compliment to platinum, rose, and yellow golds alike. Each ring is tailor-made to order and the perfect choice for an alternative style wedding band. We encourage you to stop by the D&H showroom to explore the feel and exciting design options for a truly out of this world ring.
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