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The SNAKE or serpent
was the symbol of the royal and deity in early Egyptian society. Victorian
jewelry often used an entwined snake to symbolize infinity and eternal love.
Over the years the snake has also come to symbolize wisdom, sexuality and rebirth.
While serpent motif jewelry goes far back in history, it’s popularity really
spread starting in the 1840s and peaked between then and the 1860s (see Understanding
Jewellery, Bennett, pages 88 & 104). But as far as I am concerned, it is
timeless and unique in both it’s art and symbolism. A snake biting it’s own
tail is called an "ouroboros" you can read more about that symbol
here on Wiki. |
Snakes &
Serpents
JEWELRY |
This is a
reference page of our site.
To see our jewelry that is for
SALE just click HERE!
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VICTORIAN Whitby jet snake necklace with heart dangle,
graduated sized beads, 18" with beads ranging from 1/3" to 2".
See a similar version of a snake necklace on page 122 of Davidov &
Dawes "Victorian Jewelry".
View #V31294 |
CHATELAINE sterling
chatelaine. Suspended from a snake in the symbol of infinite love 2-1/2"
brooch are: a 2" notepad and pencil; 2" pocket knife; 3-7/8" perfume with
tiny glass stopper; 1-1/8" powder and puff; 2" mirror and photo oval, all
with matching motif. View
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View #a26465 |
VICTORIAN jet Roman style snake necklace
with segmented body, 17" long and from 1/2" down to 1/3" wide bead
body. The head is 1" by 5/8" and the heart is 5/8".
View
View #V31839
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VICTORIAN Whitby jet snake wrap-around bracelet, 15" long and 5/16"
wide. It has a wonderful cross hatch carved head and tail end with
faceted links. More jet snake bracelets can be seen on page 83 of
Helen Muller’s book "Jet". Similar piece are seen in Christie
Romero’s "Warmans Jewelry, 2nd Ed" page 32 and in her 3rd edition page
51; and in Becker’s "Antique & Twentieth Century Jewelry" on page 54.
View
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View #V26676
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VICTORIAN Whitby jet snake bracelet with the carved snake head on
one end, faceted segmented body and and a hook on the other end.
It is a total of 22" long and with faceted beads from about 1/2" down to
1/3" wide. Each link is hand faceted and they are all strung on
black elastic, typical of the 1860s when this was made. It is in
very good vintage condition with only a few flea bites on the edges.
For more examples of these wonderful snake bracelets, see Helen
Mueller’s "Jet" on page 83, Christie Romero’s "Warmans Jewelry,
2nd Ed" page 32 and 3rd edition page 51; and in Becker’s "Antique &
Twentieth Century Jewelry" on page 54.
View
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View #V38726 |
VICTORIAN Whitby jet snake bracelet, hand carved cross hatched head and tail and
faceted body, shown in Helen Muller’s "Jet" page 83, extended bracelet is
14" long and the snake head is 1-1/4" long and 1/2" wide.
For more examples of these wonderful snake bracelets, see Helen
Mueller’s "Jet" on page 83, Christie Romero’s "Warmans
Jewelry, 2nd Ed" page 32 and 3rd edition page 51; and in Becker’s
"Antique & Twentieth Century Jewelry" on page 54.
View
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View #V31828
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VICTORIAN
Whitby jet
snake bracelet with beautifully carved head, about 18" long and 1-3" to 1-8"
wide. See page 83 of Helen Muller’s book "Jet". Similar piece seen in
Helen Mueller’s "Jet" on page 83; in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 2nd Ed" page 32
and 3rd edition page 51; and in Becker’s "Antique & Twentieth Century
Jewelry" on page 54. #V29886 |
VICTORIAN very unusual
textured, black enameled metal segments strung on flat coiled wire snake bracelet
with wooden carved head and tail, symbol of infinite love, 9" by 1/2".
View #V28836
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VICTORIAN Whitby jet
snake bracelet, 16" total, 1/3" wide each segment. Similar piece
seen in Helen Mueller’s "Jet" on page 83 and in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 2nd Ed" page 32
and 3rd edition page 51.
#V28553
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VICTORIAN Whitby jet
snake bracelets, matched set, 14" by approximately 1/3" each. Although
the Victorians often wore bracelets in matched sets, it is VERY rare to
find one in jet snakes like this.
View
View #V32619 |
VICTORIAN chalcedony
brooch encircled by a snake holding a pear, red and aqua rhinestones, 2".
The setting is textured rolled yellow gold, as though the snake wraps twice
around the center. While the snake was a popular Victorian jewelry motif, a
snake holding a pear is an unusual design. According to
the Wheaton College article
HERE,
"the pear was sometimes seen as the alternate fruit of the fall", but then
it is also seen as a symbol of the Virgin and Christ Child because of it’s
sweetness.
View
View #V33505 |
VICTORIAN French jet (black glass) snake coil bracelet with wire-strung
faceted segments, 18" long and about 1/3" wide. #V32600
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VICTORIAN antique 15 karat yellow gold
snake necklace with garnet cabochons and faceted garnet eyes, interesting
snake-scale chain and etched design on snake’s head, 17" with snake’s head and
leaf 2". This is an amazing necklace in excellent vintage condition. View
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View #V32446 |
VICTORIAN antique 15ct yellow gold
and garnet cabochons snake pierced earrings, total length 1-7/8". #V32446
and V32563 |
VICTORIAN antique 15ct yellow
gold and garnet cabochons snake pierced earrings, total length 1-7/8".
View
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Both #V32563 |
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VICTORIAN remarkable
antique karat yellow gold
snake bracelet with garnet cabochons and faceted garnet eyes, etched design on
snake’s head, double hinged, 8-1/2" total length with 5/8" wide snake head, can
be worn on wrist size 5-1/2" to 7".
View
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View #V32799 |
VICTORIAN 18 karat yellow
gold snake necklace with garnet cabochons and faceted garnet eyes, heart
shaped dangle from snake’s mouth has hair compartment on the reverse,
interesting snake-scale chain and intricate design on snake’s head,
circa 1850,
19-3/4" with snake’s head and heart 2-1/2".
View
View
View #V32798 |
VICTORIAN snake jewelry with garnets set in yellow gold.
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VICTORIAN 15 karat yellow gold snake infinity brooch with a garnet cabochon head and
eyes and a lovely genuine pearl drop. It has no marks but tests 14-15k
and it’s
1-1/2" by 1-1/4". The snake has delicately engraved scales on and behind his
head. This style snake symbolized eternal love in the Victorian era, a
promise of love or friendship.
View #V37140 |
VICTORIAN ring with a 5.70 carat garnet cabochon foiled underneath set
in 15ct yellow gold and marked as such inside the band, circa 1890, size 7,
made in England. This has been professionally resized in the past, markings
"625 15k".
View
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View #V37625 |
VICTORIAN 18k yellow gold
snake ring with turquoise head and ruby eyes, size 7-1/2, weight .25 ounces,
about 1/3" wide at front. Note the detailed scales and well-crafted face.
View #V34051
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SNAKE bangle in gold tone with purple rhinestones in his head, total
length 9-1/2" by 1/3" wide, perfect fit for a standard sized wrist.
View #Q34511 |
EDWARDIAN
9 karat rose gold and garnets snake ring, hallmarks inside of band for
Birmingham 1913, size 13 for a man or a larger woman’s hand,
weight approximately .16oz. The snake was the symbol for infinity and
eternal love. View
View #V34624 |
SIGNET 14k
yellow gold ring with medical "Caducaus" entwined snake, size 5-3/4.
View #K23878 |
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VICTORIAN 15 karat yellow gold and pearl boxed snake bangle
with locket, with original box fitted for this bracelet, 6" by 1-1/3" at
front with drop and 1/4" band. The heart open to a tiny secret locket,
probably too small but for the tiniest of photos. This bracelet weighs about
.48 ounces. Because it is 6" around the inside, it fits a wrist slightly
smaller than that. The unusual original box adds to this lovely treasure and
is perfect for displaying it. It has obviously been well cared for all it’s
life.
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#V34085 |
VICTORIAN sterling and
cut coral beads coil bangle in the form of a
Chinese dragon serpent
with ruby eyes, 7" and adjustable by about 5/16" thick. The
workmanship is exquisite as the pictures show, with well defined features
and an artistic design. Under the tail is a hallmarked, which looks like a
boar’s head and the maker’s mark "FM" with a branch between the letters.
View
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View #V34086 |
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VICTORIAN 9 carat yellow gold
snake bracelet with red and green garnets set in embossed head. The bracelet has
two hinged sections so it is easy to get on, and one has a replacement
pin, repaired long ago in it’s history. It comes in it’s own fitted box, 6-1/3" and 1"
wide at the front. The snake was a symbol of eternal love. A snake bracelet is
shown on page 28 of the book "Queen Victoria: a Life in Jewellery" by Gere and
Rudoe.
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View #V34762 |
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VICTORIAN gilt gold tone
matte finish locket with unusual and very nice snake bail, sweet little
girls picture on the back, circa 1880, total length 2-1/2", locket only 1-3/4" by
1-1/3". View
View #V34680 |
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VICTORIAN antique snake
earrings in carnelian and turquoise and set in yellow gold, total length 2". The
wires test as 14k gold but I cannot find a place to test the earrings tops
without scratching them, so will assume they are gilt over base metal. The earrings are in excellent condition. These
came to me in an earring box marked "Herbert Dinsdale, 98 Stricklandgate,
Kendal", but it always hard to tell for sure if this was the original box.
View
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View #V32109 |
VICTORIAN 14k yellow
gold snake bracelet with Persian turquoise head and garnet eyes, snake
1-1/2" by 3/4", total 7". A study of the snake bracelet
worn by Queen Victoria for her Accession Council in 1837 can be seen in the book
"Queen Victoria: a Life in Jewellery" by Gere and Rudoe on page 22.
View
View
View #V32252 |
VICTORIAN antique sterling
silver snake earrings with black and white banded agate
cabochons and teardrop-shaped banded agate drops, circa 1870. They have 14k yellow gold wires
and are
2-5/8" total length. The snake motif is one of my very favorites and
these are just wonderful in excellent condition.
View
View #V31982 |
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VICTORIAN gold filled snake brooch
with green and red rhinestones and etched design on head,
1-3/4". View
#V29250
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"Fine rolled gold plate brooches."
Including a snake brooch.
RCF Catalogue 1892 |
SMITH & PEPPER 9 carat yellow
gold coil snake bracelet with tiny ruby eyes, hallmarked "S&P,
crown-375-anchor-c" and "steel spring" on the back of the snake head, about
12-1/2" long and 1/4" wide.
View
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View #G33018 |
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VICTORIAN sterling
silver snake bangle with red eyes, hallmarked "pat. A re–(illegible) sterling silver", 12" by
about 1/4"+ and about 8" around the inside when relaxed. This is
one inch larger in diameter than a standard bangle and could be worn as an upper
arm bangle. View
View #V33729 |
VICTORIAN sterling snake
wrap bracelet circa 1880, total length 21-3/4" by 5/16", spreads about 3"
wide on wrist. View
#V32410 |
VICTORIAN chatelaine
clip with serpents and scrolls design, "LL Sterling 230", 2".
View
View #A28841 |
VICTORIAN silver snake coil bangle, wearable length around 6-5/8", total
length 7" by 1-1/4" wide at the front. The coiled double snake heads were a
symbol of eternal love. There is a slight dimple at the top of one knob, as
seen in picture. View
View #V35504 |
CHATELAINE sterling silver snake chatelaine with cigar cutter tool, a clover mark and "sterling"
on back, snake brooch top is 3" and the longest chain is 4-3/4". Great
way to start your own chatelaine collecting tools that you like.
View
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View #Q63953 |
SNAKE
silver snake hinged bangle with red eyes and a blue cabochon in his mouth,
7". There is nice scale detail on his head and neck.
View
View #N64169 |
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VICTORIAN hair
brooch, tiny two-sided glass covered compartments, snake frame, 1". In
Victorian times, the snake was the symbol of eternal love.
View #V27356 |
VICTORIAN snake of lava
segments strung on a wire coil bracelet circa 1880, 10-3/4" by about 1/4" to 1/2" wide.
View
#V32364 |
SNAKE silver tone and clear
rhinestones snake wrap bracelet, marked "Patented" and approx 7-1/2" but
is adjustable, circa 1930. #Y24892 |
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SNAKES pair of snake dress clips with aqua rhinestones in their mouths
and textured gold tone, patent number under the clip is "AT180112", circa
1930s, each clip is 2" wide.
View
View #Y66452 |
SNAKE head and tail bracelet, body as is, total length is 9" by 1/2"
thick. This has such a great snake face that I hate to scrap it just because
the woven body has damage, so I am hoping someone can give it a new life!
View
View #Q66228 |
AGATE banded agate snake bracelet with agates set into gilt silver snake
circles, 6-3/4" by 1-1/8".
View View #V37327 |
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SNAKE snake bangle marked "rolled gold A*D foreign", circa 1930s,
7-1/2" and 5/16" wide at the back. A*D is the mark of
Andreas Daub,
c. 1870-present,
Germany, England & France
View
View
View #Q33518 |
SILVER frog with two snakes
pendant, total length 18-1/2" with 1-1/2" pendant, marked "950",
possibly French.
View
View
View #N60673 |
SNAKE bracelet in rolled yellow
gold with segments on a wire coil, green rhinestone eyes, marked inside "Rolled Gold A*D
foreign" maker Andreas Daub, a European company, adjustable7" by 1/3". #Y33501 |
FOX MOTIF 1930s segmented brass
fox necklace with snake-like overlapping parts, the pieces are individually linked and marked "patent
pending", wearable length 17", total length 19" and 1" wide. The necklace
has only one hole for the closure, so can be worn only at the length shown
in the photograph. It lays beautifully, being segmented as it is.
View
View #Y37265
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OLGA TRITT unsigned snake and apple parure probably inspired by Adam and
Eve! Be sure check out how the the backs of these pieces are made and the
wonderful detail. It is a 14-1/4" necklace with 3-1/4" front drop, bracelet 7"
by 7/8", screw back earrings 7/8". According to the "palm
Beach Daily News" in an article dated March 10, 1934, she had her own shop
at 345 Worth Avenue "across from the Everglades Club". That article
describes her crystal, diamond, precious stones and elephant hair jewelry
for women and cufflinks for men. An ad in the same paper 12 days later
promotes her "jewels of Individuality" and also states "great reductions on
all my rare gems". This photo shown Jeanette MacDonald wearing Tritt
jewelry:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2101975040/nm0531776. A patent #161185
(118255) for Coro indicates in the references that she was making jewelry in
1949, and I have seen ads for her jewelry as late as 1971 (I think Olga’s
daughter Alva Davidson ran the shop after Olga passed away), stating her
shop address as 18 East 57th, then 569 Madison Avenue, and later 424 Park
Avenue, New York City. So far, all the other jewelry she made seems to have
been fine jewelry, not costume as this set is. She died in March 1968 in New
York City at age 81. View
View
View #Y36286 |
FOX segmented fox necklace,
bracelet and earrings circa 1930 in gold tone with green rhinestone
eyes, necklace wearable length is 16-1/2" by 1", bracelet 7" by 1",
screw back earrings 1". These have a snake-like overlapping
parts, just lovely.
View View
View
View #Y37375
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SASH pin with a serpent curling around an amethyst-colored
rhinestone. It is 3" wide and has the older style c-clasp, circa 1900. View
#i16557 |
SNAKE paste snake bracelet
with purple and clear pastes set in silver tone, blue cabochon head and
faux cut steel accents, 7" long.
View #Q35001 |
STERLING snake coil bracelet,
marked "925" and "R", 25-1/2" by 3/16". This is dramatic, like Cleopatra’s
asp, and great fun to wear. View
#N36027 |
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DECO cream colored celluloid snake coil bracelet with inset steel points and
red rhinestones, as is because it is missing a lot of the points, visible only
upon close examination but still as is and priced accordingly. The relaxed
wearable size is 7-1/4" and 7/16" wide. This does open just a bit to slide it
on, but it will not fit a larger hand. It is 2-1/4" across the inside, and by
comparison the typical bakelite bangle is 2-1/2".
View
View
View e #Q31534
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SNAKE celluloid faux tortoise
colored snake bracelet with clear and chartreuse rhinestone and metal
studs, larger size at 8-1/4" and about 1/2" wide.
View #Q34999
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DECO cream colored celluloid snake coil bracelet with inset steel points and
red and clear rhinestones, all in place. The relaxed wearable size is 7-1/4" and
7/16" wide. This does open just a bit to slide it on, but it will not fit a
larger hand. It is 2-1/4" across the inside, and by comparison the typical
bakelite bangle is 2-1/2".
View #Q37706
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PLASTIC snake upper arm bangle
with rhinestones and metal tip brads, 9-1/2".
View #B29753 |
SNAKE tortoise
colored snake bracelet with tiny metal necklace and rhinestone eyes, 8" by
1/4". #B27706 |
SNAKE green
plastic snake wrap bracelet with rhinestone eyes, 1/3" wide.
#B26596 |
LEA STEIN snake wrap bracelet,
shocking pink snakeskin-textured, fits about a 6-1/2" wrist and is about
1/2" wide. Circa 1970s, shown on page106 of Moro’s "European Jewelry".
#B31786 |
PLASTIC green marbled
snake bracelet with gold rhinestones and red eyes, 7" by about 3/4".
View #B61777 |
WHITING DAVIS gold tone snake coil
bracelet, total length 11" by 5/8" wide.
View #X34342 |
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MAZER Joseph Mazer
textured gold tone hinged snake bracelet with rhinestone eyes and tail tip,
7" by 1".
View #M25950 |
MADE IN FRANCE
three swords fur clip, a HUGE 5-3/4" long and 4" wide. Red, white and black
enamel on gold tone metal. The sword hilts are formed of curled snakes with clown faces at the base of each
one.
Marked "Made in France"
View View
View
View #Y27840 |
ART gold tone and white
enamel snake brooch with green and orange rhinestones, 2-1/3".
#X26415 |
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AGATE sterling
vermeil serpent and banded agate ring, size 7.
View #G29436 |
SNAKE slithering sterling snake brooch 3-1/8" long and 1/4" body at the
widest. Marked on the back "925" for sterling, it is in very good vintage
condition.
View #N41400 |
KOL 14k yellow gold dragon ring with jade cabochon, ruby
eye, size 7-1/2, 1" across front.
View #G28729 |
PAULINE RADER gold tone snake
brooch with green cabochon and clear rhinestones pave head and red cabochon
eyes, 3-1/3". View #X60671 |
BOUCHER snake brooch with blue
and green mini cabochons set in textured gold tone, marked on the back
"Boucher" and the number 1063P, 2-1/3".
View #M63174 |
SNAKE motif hinged bangle with
aqua headed snakes holding a red glass ball between them and accented by red
and clear rhinestones and white enameling on gold tone metal, wearable size
about 6-1/2". View
#Y66200 |
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SNAKE coil bracelet in gold tone metal with clear rhinestone muzzle and
black rhinestone eyes, a great figural creature to have in your jewelry
wardrobe. It fits an 8" wrist but it’s longer than that due to the
cross-over in front. This serpent is in excellent condition right down to
it’s forked tongue!
View #Y41399 |
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REFERENCES:
Georgian Jewellery,
1714-1830 by Dawes & Collings
Victorian Jewelry by Davidov & Dawes
Understanding Jewellery, David Bennett
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