Better with Age - Edwardian Jewelry

Continuing on in the holiday spirit, we're featuring this festive Edwardian platinum and diamond necklace. It has the lovely, intricate garland look that Edwardian jewelry is known for, and also incorporates a surprising touch of enamel. This particular piece is not by Cartier, but the renowned jewelry house popularized the garland style, using laurel leaves, flowers, ribbons and bows to create light, delicate designs resembling lace.

The enamel is an unexpected feature in an Edwardian piece, and was more representative of the parallel Art Nouveau movement. While Edwardian jewelry (circa 1901-1920) was thriving commercially with the aristocratic class, the Art Nouveau movement (circa 1890-1919) was popular with a more avant-garde crowd. It is quite nice to see these two movements come together in one beautiful piece.

This piece is all original, which is important in estate and antique jewelry. Pendants like this tend to have new chains, or drops that have been added, which decrease the value of the item. A trained eye can spot sections that are not as delicate, or "fine", which is an indication that something was added after the creation of the piece. Look for solder marks (little pools of metal left over from the process of fusing metals together) where you suspect that something has been added to your jewelry.

Better with Age - Renaissance Revival

During the holiday season, we thought we'd feature some of the more festive pieces we've bought recently. This fabulous Renaissance Revival necklace, circa 1870, is a favorite of the staff here at CIRCA. It is composed of enamel in a striking blue, and set with rubies, pearls and diamonds for contrast.

In the same way that today's fashion draws from past eras, as jewelry collecting became widespread among the nobility of Europe during the 19th century, they also looked to the past for inspiration. The lack of availability of the original pieces found in the artwork of the Renaissance era led to the trend of reproductions, or Renaissance Revival, in the mid-1800's. This necklace is comparable to pieces of the "Holbeinesque" style, named after Renaissance artist Hans Holbein. It does not have the champlevé enamel that typically adorns Holbeinesque pieces, but is similar in its oval shape and overall style.

Whenever you’re selling enamel jewelry, the condition of the piece is a key determinant of its value. This particular piece is in wonderful shape considering its age. All of the enamel is intact, and the stones and pearls are original. Enamel jewelry is created by the fusion of powdered glass to metal – a very time- and skill-intensive process. Therefore, attempted repair of antique pieces are difficult and rarely done well. Some modern jewelers like Tiffany & Co. do still use this process in their jewelry lines because of the vibrant colors it produces.

Vanity Fair

We recently purchased this ladies gold compact, circa 1920, signed by Cartier. On the heels of their l’objet d’art movement at the turn of the century, Cartier went in a more practical direction in the 1920’s, and began to make beautiful items that were also functional. Vanity cases were a great way for fashionable women to discreetly carry their lipstick, powder and maybe a spare hairpin.

This particular vanity case is no bigger than a deck of cards. It has a small mirror and two compartments on the inside. It is 18k yellow gold with an Arabic geometric design in black enamel on the front and back and a playful animal print in black enamel on the sides. The clasp is made of red coral, which adds a splash of color for contrast.

This piece does show some wear and tear on the enamel, but its overall charm makes it easy to overlook the condition. In fact, we were thrilled to get it, since it is very difficult to find pieces like this that are signed by one of the great jewelry houses and are still intact. We find the print on the sides to be particularly interesting, since it is a relatively early example of Cartier’s famous spotted panther motif, which has become a classic for the brand.

What's in a Name - Frank Gehry for Tiffany

We recently purchased this set of Tiffany & Co. gold bangles by Frank Gehry. The renowned architect is one of only four jewelry designers that Tiffany & Co. has allowed to sign their work for the firm. Frank Gehry is arguably one of the most important living architects, which made him an ideal design partner for Tiffany & Co in 2006.

As a jewelry designer, Gehry incorporates the same depth and twisted shapes into his work that he does as an architect. This particular set of bangles is from the “Torque” collection, which incorporates unusual materials and intriguing shapes for an unexpected and dramatic look. Although they may seem generic at first glance, after a closer look it becomes obvious that the shape of these bangles is slightly contorted. The bangles are accented with diamonds, which give them a feminine touch to offset the bold look.

This is an excellent example of why you should sell your fine gold jewelry to those with a knowledge of jewelry, rather than to a gold buyer. The Tiffany & Co. name, and in particular the Frank Gehry collection, give these bangles a value far above just the value of the gold they contain.

Simply Charming

We recently purchased this whimsical Art Deco platinum, diamond and gem-set charm bracelet composed of decorative charms depicting a clown, a four-leaf clover, a diamond ring and a birdcage to name a few. The trend for collecting various charms and displaying them on a link bracelet began in the 1920’s. The charms were platinum and elaborately set with diamonds and colored stones, a reflection of the Art Deco period.

Throughout the 50’s and 60’s the look of the charm bracelet changed, and yellow gold charm bracelets became a widespread fashion must-have among women. The charm bracelet was a wonderful reminder to its owner of special occasions, life experiences and exotic travels. The charm of the charm bracelet disappeared from fashion during the 90’s but recently made a comeback with designers like Chanel and Louis Vuitton creating and advertising gold link bracelets adorned with a variety of fun and fabulous charms.

Authentic Art Deco charm bracelets are few and far between these days, so collectors will scour the marketplace for ones in good condition, like this one. With the genuine article, the platinum work is always quite delicate, and there is very little metal holding the gemstones in place. This type of workmanship is extremely rare these days, as most contemporary jewelry is mass-produced.

Better with Age - Victorian Jewelry

We recently purchased this exquisite onyx and pearl pendant that dates back to the Victorian era. Queen Victoria ruled England from 1837-1901, and still holds the record for the longest reign of any British monarch. It is common to have fashion movements named for the British monarchs, as they were the primary trendsetters of their time.

Victoria’s long reign meant that the jewelry created during her rule went through several different aesthetic phases. This period also introduced the mass production of jewelry, which made it more readily available in a wider range of designs than was previously possible.

This particular piece is from the end of the 19th century and is classified as “Mourning Jewelry”. When Victoria’s husband Albert died in 1861, she went into mourning for the rest of her life, wearing nothing but black until the day she died. As the nation mourned with the queen, a new style of dark, primarily black, jewelry was born. Mourning jewelry utilized heavy, dark stones such as jet and onyx, as well as garnets and black enamel to create a very dark and somber look. Although some of this jewelry was mass-produced, surviving pieces are well-made and do have a niche following.

Watch This - Patek Philippe

We recently purchased this Patek Philippe “T150” special edition watch made for Tiffany & Co. This particular watch is part of a limited edition series that was produced in 2001 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the partnership between Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co.

The complications and the limited production of this watch are what make it so valuable. It has an annual calendar movement and a moon phase indication, which only has to be readjusted by one day every 122 years. The back case is engraved with a picture of the Tiffany & Co. workshop as well as the Patek Philippe store. Tiffany & Co. is the only retail name that Patek Philippe will display on its dial, and this particular watch displays both names prominently. It also has a “T” for Tiffany at the 12 o’clock hour.

Rare watches like this can fetch more than their original retail price in the secondary market, and are very sought after by collectors. Because there were only 150 of this particular watch made, they rarely surface in the secondary market.