Tortoiseshell, link by link: a chain of dark tortoiseshell with blond highlights, fastened with an adjustable hook, and a tortoiseshell locket carved in high relief with the conjoined initials "JSM." The suspension ring is gold, testing 10k. The locket unhooks easily, so the chain can be worn alone.
Carved tortoiseshell jewelry was fashionable in the Victorian era and antique pieces are prized for their warmth and figure.
The Details
- Era: Victorian
- Materials: Tortoiseshell chain and locket; gold ring testing 10k
- Marks: Carved monogram "JSM"
- Measurements: Locket 41 x 35 mm (1 5/8 x 1 3/8 in.); chain width 16 mm (5/8 in.)
- Length: 23 in. (58.4 cm) overall
- Weight: 53 grams
- Provenance: Bowman estate, Carlisle, England; purchased at the estate in 1973, taken to the U.S. Virgin Islands, then to the mainland U.S. in 1984
- Condition: Excellent, except for the missing interior locket crystal.
Tortoiseshell, link by link: a chain of dark tortoiseshell with blond highlights, fastened with an adjustable hook, and a tortoiseshell locket carved in high relief with the conjoined initials "JSM." The suspension ring is gold, testing 10k. The locket unhooks easily, so the chain can be worn alone.
Carved tortoiseshell jewelry was fashionable in the Victorian era and antique pieces are prized for their warmth and figure.
The Details
- Era: Victorian
- Materials: Tortoiseshell chain and locket; gold ring testing 10k
- Marks: Carved monogram "JSM"
- Measurements: Locket 41 x 35 mm (1 5/8 x 1 3/8 in.); chain width 16 mm (5/8 in.)
- Length: 23 in. (58.4 cm) overall
- Weight: 53 grams
- Provenance: Bowman estate, Carlisle, England; purchased at the estate in 1973, taken to the U.S. Virgin Islands, then to the mainland U.S. in 1984
- Condition: Excellent, except for the missing interior locket crystal.