Newsletter

Subscribe to the Morning Glory Newsletter for articles all about jewelry. Unsubscribe anytime.

Portrait Jewelry

You are on a reference page of Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry. These items were photographed from private collections, and are for reference only.

Jewelry that we have available TO BUY can be accessed by clicking HERE

Morning Glory
Collects…


vintage
jewelry we enjoy buying, wearing and sharing

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 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 idealized lovely ladies. Mother-of-pearl, ivory and vellum were
often used as paint 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 not only pieces for jewelry,
but also 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.

Artist-signed pieces, lovely
ladies and children, dated pieces and identifiable individuals often command
the highest prices. Portraits that combine
enclosures for hair or include an engraved notation are also sought after.





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

Group of Victorian portrait, photographic and memorial
jewelry.


PORTRAIT Miniature
This portrait hand painted on ivory, 2-2/3", circa 1840 also has
a lock of hair on the back. This brooch was featured in Victorian
Homes Magazine
in an article called "Large Portraits, Small
Sentiments", December 2005. It also was featured in Southeastern Antiquing &
Collecting Magazine
, August 2003.
View
#V3810




http://www.morninggloryantiques.com/imagesAC/Access/acc41360.jpg

PORTRAIT hand
painted portrait miniature on ivory , a lovely lady in a brass frame, she
wears a pink rose on her bodice, 2" by 1-1/2".
View #V24370


VICTORIAN
portrait brooch set in mother-of-pearl, 1-5/8 inch. View
#V16362


PORTRAIT
hand painted portrait of a beautiful auburn-haired lady,
masterfully done and framed in brass that has etched flowers and leaves
designs on it, 4" by 3-1/4". The painting on this is fragile, and
there are two places where it has rubbed off a bit, at 4 o’clock and 7:00
o’clock, as seen in the close-ups. It now has a clear cover on it to
protect it. Wouldn’t it be fun to know who she was?

View


View
#V41360




PORTRAIT gold tone silver gilt
hinged bracelet with cloisonné enamel on silver center, 6-3/4" with 1-1/2" front
and 1" wide back. Intricate wirework with scrolls and bead work with a beautiful
painted lady wearing a gold necklace and a veil. View
View
View #V35681


VICTORIAN
or late Georgian portraits necklace, total length 14-1/2" with the
larger ovals 1-1/4" by 3/4" and the smaller 1/3" by 1/2". The portraits are
enamel on silver metal with hand painted faces. Two of the portraits have been
re-worked so they look a bit different and while I don’t find it very
distracting, I did price this "as-is" because of that. An unusual and amazing
piece and each portrait is a little different.

View


View


View


View


View


View


View


View
#V38767

PORTRAIT
brooch set in silver with lovely etched designs
all the way around the frame and a flip-up hook for a chain on the back ,
2-1/3" by 2". I suspect this is set in 800/1000 silver and that it was
inspired by artist Angelo Asti, (born in Italy in 1847 and died in 1903).

View

View
#V40932




VICTORIAN jet hand
painted child on porcelain brooch, 1-1/3".
View #V29291
VICTORIAN
hand painted child pendant, crack on front and repair on loop, 1-3/4".
View #V27781
VICTORIAN
jet with "Vagabond Boy" portrait on porcelain pierced earrings, 2".
View
View #V27912




VICTORIAN jet and hand painted on porcelain lady in pink and blue
portrait brooch, Greek key design edge, 1-7/8" by 1-1/2".
This has scratches on the back side.
View #V29889

VICTORIAN portrait earrings set in gold, 1-1/4" pendant only, 1-7/8"
total length. View
View #V29901

VICTORIAN jet pendant with
hand painted porcelain lady portrait, 2".This brooch was featured in
Victorian Homes Magazine
in an article called "Large Portraits, Small
Sentiments", December 2005
View #V25926




VICTORIAN jet
hand painted praying child teardrop shaped 2-1/4" portrait pendant on 20"
fabric ribbon.
View
View #V28833

VICTORIAN jet pendant
with hand painted porcelain child wearing a fancy cap portrait, 1-1/2".
View #V29279

VICTORIAN 2-1/4"
portrait pendant with 1/3" loop.
View #V28555





VICTORIAN jet painted
cherub portrait with hair compartment, 1-3/4" by 1-1/4". Raphael
(Raffaello Sanzio, 1483-1520) was a great, late Renaissance Italian artist.
Raphael’s Cherub is part of his early 1500s Sistine Chapel murals in the
Vatican. Many Victorian pieces were made with this as their inspiration,
including this one.
View
View #V29914
VICTORIAN jet cherub 1-7/8"
by 1-1/2" locket with photo and hair on back suspended on a 20" faceted French
jet glass beads chain. Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio,
1483-1520) was a great, late Renaissance Italian artist. Raphael’s Cherub is
part of his early 1500s Sistine Chapel murals in the Vatican. Many Victorian
pieces were made with this as their inspiration, including this one. A
similar piece can be seen on page 167 of Bell’s "Collecting Victorian
Jewelry". View
View #V29917
VICTORIAN jet
pendant with hand painted porcelain green Tyrolean boy portrait, 2-1/2" by
1-1/4" pendant on carved jet beads 18" necklace.
View
View
View #V29918




VICTORIAN Whitby jet and porcelain pendant, lovely lady holding a dove,
1-3/4" by 1-1/3" on a 24" ribbon.
View #V32218

VICTORIAN carte de visite of a lady wearing a locket on a long black ribbon
and a hand painted Gypsy Boy set in jet brooch, 2-1/2" by 4". Dated on
the back 10/87, "W. McLiesh
Photographer, 71 Northgate, Darlington".
View
View #Vkph25

VICTORIAN gypsy boy transfer
portrait pin with hand painted details in a yellow gold twist setting brooch,
2-1/4" by 1-7/8". This design was taken from the "Neapolitan Fisher
Boy" After Gustav Richter. View
#V32766




VICTORIAN
painted porcelain set in jet boy portrait brooch, 2-1/8". For a
similar piece see page 32 in Helen Muller’s "Jet Jewellery and Ornaments".
This brooch was featured in Victorian Homes Magazine in an article
called "Large Portraits, Small Sentiments", December 2005
View #V25351

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 carved
jet with hand painted porcelain green Tyrolean boy tie pin, 7/8" by 5/8" by
2-1/3". View
View #V29920




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




VICTORIAN jet teardrop pendant with transfer and hand
detailed Gypsy boy portrait, one tiny flea bite visible only from back, 2"
with 3/4" loop. View
View #V31804

VICTORIAN lady wearing
a portrait brooch and pendant watch. Cabinet card in folder marked, "Miller,
Union Block, Mt. Vernon, O." and hand written in red ink on front, "Alta
Woodruff Houk, age 18".
View

VICTORIAN painted
gypsy boy brooch set in black pressed horn brooch, 1-1/2".
View #V31811




PASTE French miniature
brooch, portrait in black and white on ivory set with clear pastes in silver
with safety chain, 1-1/3" by 1". She wears a powdered wig with flowers in
her hair and on her bodice, great detail.
View #Q33328
VICTORIAN Whitby jet
with painted gypsy boy brooch, unusually thick jet, 2-5/8" by 2-1/8".
View
View #V33259
VICTORIAN painted
porcelain plaques to be used for jewelry, most often set in jet.
View #V33506





JEWELRY
box with Mme DeBrun’s portrait on the top of a gold washed
and decorated box with a mirror in the lid. The lady shown wears a
white turban and ruffle around the neck on a blue satin dress. It’s
painted on a porcelain disk with the name "Lebrun" on the back. It’s lid
is 4-1/2" by 3-3/4". The box is 1-1/2" deep with lovely applied textured
designs all the way around the sides and four little feet. This could
also be called a dresser box. The last two photos show how lovely a
portrait collection can be!

View


View


View


View


View


View


View
#V40902


JEWELRY
box with a portrait top on a gold washed metal box. with a
hand painted portrait of a lovely woman on the lid and applied decorations front
and back. It is delicately lined with a faded pink tufted fabric and has tiny
ribbon florets around the mirror, It is 3-3/4" by 3" across the top and almost
2" not counting the four little feet. The lining does show wear, but it is in
overall lovely vintage condition. The last two photos show how lovely a
portrait collection can be!

View


View


View


View


View


View


View


View
#V40903

VICTORIAN 10-14k hand painted portrait brooch with a
pop-up loop for a chain, hand
painted with gold trim, marked "DIBB 10k" at the back bottom, 2-1/8"
by 1-5/8". It is marked 14k on the catch and 10k on the frame, chain
tests 10k but catch isn’t. I am puzzled by the bubbly-looking area where the
necklace or possibly lacy is. But the frame with it’s twisted wire
accent all around it sets this piece off so well.
View
View
View #V40077




VICTORIAN bellman’s cap
transfer with hand painted transfer details portrait brooch in twisted gold
tone frame, 2-1/3".This brooch was featured in Victorian Homes Magazine in
an article called "Large Portraits, Small Sentiments", December 2005.
View #V27593

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
lady hand painted porcelain brooch, she is wearing a pink rose and
necklace, 1-7/8". This brooch was featured in
Victorian Homes Magazine in an
article called "Large Portraits, Small Sentiments", December 2005and
the jpg of the page is shown here below.

View
#V27596





DELICATE
portrait brooch set in 14k yellow gold with 6 pearls in the
surrounding lace-like frame, 1-1/3". There’s a flip-up loop for a chain
so this can be worn as a necklace, too, and it is marked "14K"
on the back. View #V41052


VICTORIAN
small bust of a lovely lady in cast metal with a shimmering golden
tone finish. It is 5" tall and 1-5/8" at the widest. In a 1902 Becken
Catalog, these are called "Library Statuary" and many styles and sizes were
offered. You can see some examples

HERE
. As can be seen in the photos, the finish does have some wear
commiserate with it’s age.
View
View
#V34084


PORTRAIT
brooch with a hand painted portrait under glass surrounded
with natural pearls and set in 800/1000 silver, 1-3/4" by 1-1/3".
The intricate detail in this portrait is beyond amazing! It looks a bit
like the Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth I of England, some of which
you can see

HERE
. The crown she wears in this portrait can also be seen on
a table behind her in one of the portraits. What do you think? She also
wear a cross and ropes of pearls with her stiff lacey neck ruff.

View


View
#Y40949




PORTRAIT brooch hand painted on porcelain
in a twisted gold tone setting. This brooch was featured in
Victorian Homes Magazine
in an article called "Large Portraits, Small
Sentiments", December 2005. It also was featured in Southeastern Antiquing &
Collecting Magazine
, August 2003.
View #V23717

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

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. This brooch was featured in
Victorian Homes Magazine
in an article called "Large Portraits, Small
Sentiments", December 2005. It also was featured in Southeastern Antiquing &
Collecting Magazine
, August 2003.
View #V22943




VICTORIAN painted
porcelain portrait brooch, 2" with tiny factory face "dimple".
View #V24885
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 porcelain portrait
brooch 2-1/4" in gold tone frame.
View #V24860




VICTORIAN hand painted portrait brooch of an auburn-haired lady with
sausage curls and pink
roses in her hair, what a charmer with her sweet smile. It is 2-1/8" by 1-5/8".
It is painted on an oval china disk which is mounted on a gold colored
metal backing. It has a gold colored painted edge that highlights the
portrait, too.
View
#V40078

PORTRAIT hand painted on
porcelain lady portrait brooch, small sized 1-1/4". (Seen in Christie
Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 3rd Ed, page
111.)
View #Q32159

VICTORIAN sterling silver and
painted porcelain brooch with ribbon motif frame circa 1900, remade pin back, 2" by
1-3/4". View
#V34583




PORTRAIT porcelain transfer
portrait brooch, lady with green veil and necklace i silver tone setting,
circa 1900, wear on finish visible under 10x magnification only, 1-1/2".
This brooch was featured in Victorian Homes Magazine in an article
called "Large Portraits, Small Sentiments", December 2005 issue.
View #Y25355
TRANSFER on porcelain poppy
lady portrait unset plaque, small sized at 1-1/4" by 7/8". Similar piece can
be seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 3rd Ed, page 111.
View #Q34671
VICTORIAN
vintage Mucha style lady transfer with hand painted details on porcelain
portrait pin, wear on finish visible under 10x magnification only, circa
1900, 1-3/4" by 1-1/3". This brooch was featured in Victorian Homes
Magazine
in an article called "Large Portraits, Small
Sentiments", December 2005 issue.


View

#V24933




VICTORIAN hand painted portrait brooch, lady in feathered hat set in
gold tone, 1-1/2" by 1-1/8".
View #V30093

VICTORIAN photograph of a lady
wearing a portrait brooch on a black velvet ribbon. Jarvis White & Co.,
Davenport, Iowa. View
View

VICTORIAN large hand
tinted transfer on porcelain detailed lovely lady in gold tone twist setting
brooch, 2-1/3".
View #V29293




VICTORIAN gypsy boy transfer
portrait pin with hand painted details in a yellow gold twist setting brooch,
2-1/4" by 1-7/8". This image was inspired by a painting by the artist
Gustav Richter called "Portrait of a Neapolitan". This was a popular image and
was used on porcelain as well as jewelry. View
#V32766

GEORGIAN brooch of a
hand painted portrait on ivory under glass set in silver with rubies. A
similar brooch can be see in Dawes "Georgian Jewelry" page 130. #VHM7


VICTORIAN
"Vagabond Boy" transfer brooch with hand painted details,
circa 1880, 2". This image was inspired by a painting by the artist
Gustav Richter called "Portrait of a Neapolitan". See Bell’s "Victorian Jewelry" page 143. This
brooch was featured in Victorian Homes Magazine in an article called
"Large Portraits, Small Sentiments", December 2005.
View #V27842








Victorian cameos, hair jewelry, portrait jewelry on the cover of
Southeastern Antiquing &
Collecting Magazine

August 2003

Southeastern Antiquing &
Collecting Magazine

August 2003
Victorian Jewelry

Victorian cameos, hair jewelry, portrait jewelry on the cover of
Southeastern Antiquing &
Collecting Magazine

August 2003




VICTORIAN hand tinted little girl photo brooch with seed
pearls set in sterling, 7/8". #V27599

VICTORIAN hand painted on
porcelain portrait pin, lady with pink and white bonnet, 1".
View #V27600

VICTORIAN hand detailed transfer on porcelain
portrait pin, lady with pink and blue bonnet, 1". #V27601




PORTRAIT hand detailed
transfer portrait brooch, 2-1/8". Slight scraping at left temple.
View #Q27594

EDWARDIAN
hand painted on ivory little boy portrait brooch, 1-3/4".
This brooch was featured in Victorian Homes Magazine in an article
called "Large Portraits, Small Sentiments", December 2005.
View
#V27597

VICTORIAN
lady descending stairway portrait brooch, hand
painted on porcelain, 1-5/8".
View
#V27598




CZECH style
brooch with four portraits on porcelain set in gold tone with red
rhinestones, 4". View
View
View
View #X27676

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 Art Nouveau
gold tone graduated disks with lady faces motif fob, 4-5/8" with 5" chain.
View
View
#V28384




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

PORTRAIT
necklace with transfer portrait and floral motif.
View
View #Y21237




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 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

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




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


VICTORIAN
portrait earrings.
View
View #V18695

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




VICTORIAN enameled
picture of a lady brooch.
View
#V15671

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

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



PORTRAIT on
porcelain set in antique metal collar frame with screw holes to fasten it to
a box or plaque, 3-1/2" by 4".
View

View
#a60628
CLIP portrait gold tone
scroll embossed dress clip, 2-1/2".
View #Y27372




PORTRAIT hand painted portrait brooch in
lacy silver filigree hearts setting, 1-5/8". The portrait is
delicately painted on celluloid and mounted behind glass, circa 1960.
View #Q33558
ROBERT
hand painted portrait pin, 2".
View #R25207
PORTRAIT hand painted portrait brooch in
lacy silver filigree setting, 1-5/8". The portrait is delicately
painted on celluloid and mounted behind glass and it is signed by the
artist, circa 1960.
View #Q33559




ROSENSTEIN
did an entire series of portrait pieces like this brooch, 2-1/4".
View #X22409

ROSENSTEIN hand painted
portrait brooch set in ornate gold tone with clear rhinestones and
artificial pearls, 2-1/2" by 1-3/4", circa 1960. The lady in the
portrait wears wonderful jewelry and a powdered wig.
View #X11708

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




ROSENSTEIN hand painted
portrait brooch in gold tone with artificial pearls and clear rhinestones.
View
View #X26514

HASKELL/VRBA this fabulous portrait pin was made
in 1973 by Larry Vrba for a Broadway play called "Crown Matrimonial" when he was the designer for Miriam Haskell Jewelry, 6" by
3-1/3". There was more regal-looking jewelry made for the same
Broadway play, and I dream of finding other pieces. The man in the
portrait is Napoleon II,
Napoléon
François Joseph Charles Bonaparte, Duke of Reichstadt
(20 March 1811 —
22 July 1832) son of Napoleon and his wife Marie Louise of Austria.
View
View
#H10012

FLORENZA
portrait brooch/frame combination. This is the same man as shown in the
Vrba brooch at the left, Napoleon II.
View
#X21469




ROSENSTEIN
portrait pendant. #X13719

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

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


HOBE portrait brooch with hand
painted portrait set with unfoiled pink, blue, clear and lavender
rhinestones in gold tone wire work, 2-1/2".
View #O64892
HOBE hand painted
portrait bracelet with pastel rhinestones and gold tone mesh band.
View
View
View #O27919

HOBE hand
painted portrait brooch and earrings with purple rhinestones, circa 1960.
View
#O11670





HOBE
portraits & earrings, earrings are lithos and small disks are hand
painted and used in costume jewelry by Hobe, as well as other makers. #O37930


HOBE
portraits that were used to make jewelry.

View
#O37930b


HOBE
hand painted portraits. #O37930d




FLORENZA printed
portrait set in ornate gold tone brooch, 1-7/8".
View #L28558

PAINTED lady 2" porcelain brooch.
View #Y21920

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




HAND PAINTED lady with floral cape brooch, marked “TLM
(Thomas L Mott) Made in
England” circa 1930 , 1-3/4″. View
View #Y26454

PORTRAIT
marked "TLM ( Thomas L Mott) Made in England" hand painted portrait pin, lady dressed in
1800’s fashions, circa 1930, 2-1/3".
View
View
View #V25991

PORTRAIT
marked "TLM ( Thomas L Mott) Made in England" hand painted portrait pin, lady dressed in
1800’s fashions, circa 1930, 2-1/3".
View #V27649




LIMOGES painted
portrait brooch of a lady in blue set in gold tone twist frame with trombone
catch and pendant loop, 1-7/8".
View
View #X29282
LIMOGES painted ladies in
blue and peach dresses portraits set in gold tone twist frames with
artificial pearls bracelet, 8" by 1-1/3".
View
View #X28999
T&M T Mott hand
painted on mother-of-pearl dressy lady brooch, 1-3/4".
View #X29151




PORTRAITS of
fancy lady in elegant hat, a convex glass covered printed portrait set in gold
tone frame with hand painted pink roses on velvet, 5-5/8" by 3-3/4". Set
of two.
View
View
View
View
View
View #a50706




BAKELITE deep apple
juice carved brooch with courting couple porcelain portrait panel, 2-5/8" by
1-7/8". View
#B28900
HAND PAINTED
portrait of a lady in her best hat, 2".
View #Y26396

PAINTED portrait in silver brooch
with orange glass beads, marked 800, 1-1/3".
View #V31340




BOOK with lady portrait cover, "Homestead on the Hillside" by Mary J
Holmes circa 1910. #a27890

HOBE green glass bead
four-strand necklace with a central hand painted female warrior on ivory
under glass and set in gold tone flowers, filigree box catch. The necklace is 18-1/2" long
and the center is 1-1/4" by 1-1/2".
View
View
View #O32136

BOOK with lady portrait cover, "Tempest & Sunshine" by Mary J Holmes circa
1910. #a27889