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Portrait & Photographic
Jewelry
 

  VICTORIAN lady wearing a portrait brooch, cut steel buttons and diamond earrings. Cabinet card size 4-1/4" by 6-1/2", marked "J. O. Herbert, Grand Rapids, Wis."

   VICTORIAN lady wearing a portrait brooch.

   VICTORIAN lady wearing a portrait brooch and a watch chain with a ring as an ornament. Cabinet card size 4-1/4" by 6-1/2" marked on the front "Younge, Over Glenn's, Franklin Square, Utica, NY".   View

  VICTORIAN lady wearing a portrait brooch and watch chain. Cabinet Card size 4-1/4" by 6-1/2" marked "Jacoby, Minneapolis" on the front.

PORTRAIT JEWELRY
It can be hand painted on ivory, porcelain, paper or mother-of-pearl.... it can be set in gold with precious gems, mounted on jet or simply costume jewelry... it can be a lovely lady, a dignified gentleman or a charming child...

Portrait jewelry is a sentimental favorite, a personality captured in time and a classic fashion accessory.

In the days before photography, a hand-painted portrait miniature was the only way to preserve an image of a loved one and a desirable keepsake or love token. While some of these miniature art works were done of actual people including both royalty and everyday folks, others were painted of mythological characters and fictional lovely ladies. Mother-of-pearl, ivory and vellum were often used as painting surfaces. Settings range from the simplest rolled gold twist frame brooch to gem encrusted wonders.

Artists who did portrait miniatures were called "limners" and they did pieces for jewelry as well as work meant to be framed for display, often in lacquered wood or ivory embellished frames.  Some traveled from city to city taking commissions as they went. Portraits could be worn on velvet ribbons around the neck, as brooches, rings and bracelets, and in lockets. Even men occasionally worn portraits suspended around the neck under their shirts.

Collectors of Victorian portrait jewelry prefer artist-signed pieces, lovely ladies and children, and identifiable individuals. Portraits that combine enclosures for hair or include an engraved notation are also sought after.
 

    PORTRAIT hand painted portrait on ivory, lady with jewelry.  View   View   #a26477

   PORTRAIT hand painted portrait on ivory, lady in empire dress, "Blessington" marked on back.  View   View   View   View   #a26478

  PORTRAIT enamel on metal detailed and lovely lady in metal frame,   View   #a26191

    Early portrait miniatures were hand painted images of real people, such as those shown below. Traveling artists known as "limners" went from town to town offering their services, and their work varies from very primitive to very professional. Since there was no photography until the mid-1800s, this was the only way of preserving the likeness of a loved one.

 

F.J. Borden, Crayon and pastel portraits

   VICTORIAN 14k gentleman's portrait 2-1/8" oval brooch engraved on the back "Catherine Graham, Albany NY".   View   #V23370

 Group of portrait, photographic and memorial jewelry.

PORTRAIT Pendant Victorian hand painted portrait, probably on ivory, 2-3/4". On the reverse is a lock of his hair.    View

    Some portrait miniatures are transfers rather than hand painted, such as those shown below. Occasionally they were a combination of transfers and hand painted details. These were pictures of attractive people, usually women, often wearing fancy or ethnic dress.

 

   PORTRAIT brooch hand painted on porcelain in a twisted gold tone setting.    View   #V23717

  PORTRAIT porcelain transfer portrait brooch, lady with green veil, 1-1/2".   View   #Y25355

  VICTORIAN portrait brooch, 2-1/2". This lady dressed in plum is delicately hand painted on a porcelain disk set into a twisted gold filled setting. Notice the detail of the feather in her hat.   View   #V22943

    VICTORIAN lady hand painted porcelain brooch, wearing pink rose and necklace, 1-7/8".   View   #V27596

   VICTORIAN yellow gold enamel painted portrait pierced earrings, pendant portion 1-1/3". See Bell's "Collecting Victorian Jewelry" page 158.  View   View   #V27338    

      VICTORIAN bellman's cap transfer with hand painted transfer details portrait brooch in twisted gold tone frame, 2-1/3".   View   #V27593

    Miniature portraits go back almost as far as written history itself. Because they could be either carried easily or worn prominently, they were a favorite item of sentiment. The best quality are the hand painted pieces, rich in detail and capturing the personality of the subject. Set in everything from fine gold and diamonds to Victorian jet, the value can vary widely.

   VICTORIAN 2" "gypsy boy" hand detailed portrait on jet segmented bracelet 1" wide and strung on elastic, fits a 6 to 6-1/2" wrist.   View   #V28835

       VICTORIAN lady wearing a portrait pendant set in jet on a black neck ribbon and a bog oak oval brooch at her neckline. Carte de viste size 2-1/2" by 4-1/4", marked "R.P. Skeolan, Harrogate" on the front and "miniature painter" on the back.  View

 VICTORIAN painted porcelain set in vulcanite boy portrait brooch, 2-1/8".   View   #V25351    

VICTORIAN jet brooch with inset hand painted porcelain "Tyrolean boy", 1-3/4".   View   #V29224

VICTORIAN vulcanite pendant with hand painted porcelain pink "Tyrolean boy" portrait, 2-5/8".   View   #V29161

VICTORIAN vulcanite green boy pendant, 2-5/8".   View   #V28876

         ENAMEL MINIATURE PORTRAIT lady of fashion painted on porcelain 2 3/4” pin, w/safety chain, hinged c-clasp, tests at least 14k.   #V12530

   ENAMEL MINIATURE PORTRAIT lady in blue painted on porcelain. This pin with safety chain and a hinged c-clasp is set in a 9c gold scalloped frame, 2 1/4" tall.   #V12529

ENAMEL MINIATURE BOY 2 1/8” x1 3/4" portrait pin painted on porcelain, set in jet. The back has a hinged c-clasp, circa 1870.  View  #V12532  

        MADONNA and child painted portrait brooch in a twisted and enameled frame. Painted after Raphel's "The Madonna of the Chair".

   ENAMELED religious picture set in 18k gold with blue stones.  View    View    View    View    View 

  VICTORIAN enameled picture of a lady brooch.  View   #V15671

  HAND PAINTED lady with floral cape brooch,  marked "TA Made in England" , 1-3/4".  View   View  #Y26454    $96.00  USD

     VICTORIAN transfer and hand painted lady picking roses brooch set in twisted gold framed brooch with safety, 2-1/4".  View   View  #V26081 

PORTRAIT marked "TA Made in England" hand painted portrait pin, lady dressed in 1800's fashions, 2-1/3".   View   View   View   #V25991

     These settings have a Victorian or Czech style, and are highly collectible. Brooches are more common, and earrings more difficult to find. Pieces with multiple portraits are also more rare.

 

      PORTRAIT 16-1/2" necklace with oval porcelain transfer portrait.  View   View   #Z21237

VICTORIAN painted portrait brooch in a twisted gold tone frame, 1-1/2".   View  #V16063 

   CZECH porcelain portrait screw back earrings, 2-1/3".  View   View   #Q24872

   VICTORIAN portraits on porcelain. The bezel set square brooch is 2"; the oval bezel set brooch is 1-3/4" and may be worn as a brooch or pendant;  and the bracelet is 7" long with 4 different portraits, each separated by enamel and real seed pearls. None of the porcelains are signed.
Courtesy of Molly Garza

                VICTORIAN portrait earrings.  View   View   #V18695

  CZECH green glass and enameled portrait necklace with artificial pearl accents.   #Q24516  

      HINGED gold tone bangle 7" b y 1" bracelet with porcelain portrait on the front.   View   #V17805 

   LALIQUE designed French World War I medal pendant, struck for donors to an orphanage for war orphans.   View   View   #XJK

   CZECH orange glass and enameled portrait necklace with artificial pearl accents.  #Q2731      

   STERLING Art Nouveau 2" embossed face brooch.  View   View  #Q17486

   STERLING silver embossed Gibson girl with golf club brooch, pierced star mark on back, 2-1/4".  View   #Q25874   

   STERLING lady embossed face 1" pendant on 18" chain  View   #Q21848

    Some mid-twentieth century costume pieces were fashioned around European portrait miniatures, such as those shown below. Hand painted in either watercolors or oils on ivory or celluloid, they are a delicate reminder of times and fashions past.
 

  ROSENSTEIN did an entire series of portrait pieces...  View  #X22409

  .... and these are just some of several examples.  View    #X11708

  ROSENSTEIN sterling vermeil and clear rhinestones hand painted Degas-style ballerina brooch, 1-5/8".  View  #X22135

 ROSENSTEIN portrait pendant.   #X13719

  HASKELL/VRBA this fabulous portrait pin was made for a Broadway play by Larry Vrba when he was the designer for Miriam Haskell Jewelry. There was more regal-looking jewelry made for the same play, and I dream of finding other pieces.    View   View   #H10012

  FLORENZA portrait brooch/frame. The portrait is the same subject as the Haskell/Vrba brooch at the right.    View   #X21469

   HOBE  portrait 2-1/4" pin and earrings with purple rhinestones, lady in pastel blue.  View   #O11670

   HOBE portrait ring with green rhinestone surround.    #O11606 

    ROBERT  hand painted portrait pin, 2".  View   #R25207

    In the early to mid-twentieth century portrait jewelry was often hand painted on porcelain disks in the same style as china painting. Like china painting, some artists had much greater skill than others in capturing a likeness as can be seen in the examples below.

 

   PORTRAIT painted on porcelain of a caped lady.   View   View   #Y20096

  PORTRAIT hand detailed transfer portrait brooch, 2-1/8".   View   #Q27594 

   PAINTED lady 2" porcelain brooch.   View   #Y21920

  HAND PAINTED portrait of a lady in her best hat, 2".   View   #Y26396  

      PORTRAIT painted on porcelain of a lady with pink roses in her hair and at her bodice.  #Y10512

   PORTRAIT painted on porcelain of a lady with pink roses in her hair.   View  #Y18821

    Twentieth century portrait jewelry was sometimes printed rather than hand painted, and while these pieces are lovely, the value and rarity is not the same as the pieces that are hand done.

      FLORENZA portrait brooch/pendant in textured gold tone setting with flower and leaf design, 2". View   #L24823

     FLORENZA 2" portrait locket pendant on 22" chain and 1-1/8" earrings.  View   #L24837

   ART  2" portrait pin with ornate gold tone setting.   View   #X24621

    STERLING and marcasite brooch with a gypsy portrait.   View   View   View   View   #YBB2
Courtesy of Bobbi Brown

   KARU portrait brooch in gold tone filigree setting.  View   View   View   #X15253

PORTRAIT brooch in filigree style setting.   View   #Y19764  

               BUTTERFLY wing portrait brooch set in sterling.   #Ybfly

    COVENTRY Mona Lisa 1-5/8" portrait pin.  View   #X24714 

PHOTOGRAPH JEWELRY
Given and worn as a token of love and remembrance, photographic jewelry documents history and personality as well as family ties. When photography was invented, the art of hand painting miniature portraits for jewelry became less common in favor of photographic pieces.

Photography was an invention of the Victorian era, and photographic jewelry represented a permanent way to document beloved friends and family. Since the opportunity to be photographed was not as prevalent as it is now, a photo was a precious thing. Worn as brooches, cufflinks and pendants, these faces from the past were most often mounted in non-precious metals under crystal or celluloid covers for protection.

Collectors especially appreciate pictures of lovely women and children, Civil War soldiers and subjects wearing interesting clothing or jewelry. Here again, the addition of engraving, especially dates and love messages, makes the piece more interesting.

 

Great Aunt Mary and my Grandmother Agnes as young girls, circa 1890's.   View   

  My favorite Aunt Sissie in her white lawn high-necked Edwardian blouse, circa 1910.   View

   Photo brooch of three of my Victorian-era mustachioed uncles.   View 

  My very bearded great great grandfather, circa 1870.   View   

   The photos of these two unidentified gentlemen were made into cuff links. I assume that they were probably brothers.  View

  VICTORIAN 1-3/4 inch hair and photo memorial swivel brooch. Now this is the original odd couple, and  I love these unusual ones! The back compartment contains very blond hair.   View    #V18650  

VICTORIAN carte de viste of a lady wearing a photo brooch of a man in a gol