Antique Victorian Spinel, Pearl and Diamond Brooch in Silver over Gold

Discover exceptional antique Victorian jewelry from the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). The period's distinctive designs include snake motifs, en tremblant settings and elaborate cameos reflecting the romanticism of her long reign. Authentic vintage Victorian jewelry includes mourning pieces enclosing a lock of hair or portrait miniature in black onyx and diamond, as well as various memento mori such as skulls, skeletons, extinguished candles and other dark motifs that honor the departed. Victorian jewelry styles encompass both the era's sentimentality and innovation including Etruscan revival designs and naturalistic floral motifs in patinated silver over yellow gold mountings. Every jewel we sell is vetted for quality, condition and authenticity.

Authenticating pieces of jewelry requires more nuanced expertise. Many thousands of pieces of jewelry have passed through our hands for over 40 years from every era and every maker. This familiarity enables us to know what a piece should look and feel like and if it has the expected quality of material and workmanship, the accurate makers marks and the correct signature in all the right places. Indeed, one of the easiest ways non-experts can be fooled is to assume a designer piece of jewelry is truly by that maker as pieces by commercial manufacturers are often outright fakes or signed fraudulently by a third party.
In practice, we first look at the front and back of a bracelet, ring or brooch, turning it over in our hands to see that the workmanship on the reverse is just as fine as the detail on the front. Using the jeweler’s important tool, the loupe, we look carefully at many different touchpoints including the precision with which the diamonds are mounted in their settings, the manner in which gold or platinum links are connected to each other, the quality of the azuring, a most difficult and refined aspect of metalwork, the fineness of the material and we look for flawless polish.
If we have any doubts whatsoever as to authenticity, we submit the piece to the firm itself, be it Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, David Webb and others. We also request the original bill of sale, box and papers for those items most commonly faked such as Cartier Love brackets and VCA Alhambra pieces. And just as banks know their customers, we, too, ensure we know enough about our clients to assure ourselves of their ownership and provenance.
Our team of GIA-certified jewelry experts has such a well-regarded reputation in the international jewelry industry that we are frequently called upon to advise auction houses, appraisers and other dealers in matters of authenticity and value.
We stand behind every piece with complete documentation, relevant GIA certification, and the best return policy in the industry, a full money-back guarantee, no exceptions.

Pearls require gentle care to maintain their natural luster and beauty. Avoid contact with perfume, lotion or cosmetics as these products can damage the pearl's surface over time. Occasionally gently wipe your pearls with a soft, damp cloth and store them separately to prevent scratching from harder gemstones or metals. If worn frequently, pearl strands may stretch over time and need to be restrung, ideally with individual knots between each pearl, an easy and inexpensive process well worth doing to avoid unexpected breakage or loss.