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Portrait and Photographic Jewelry

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Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry

presents
~

JEWEL CHAT
Costume Jewelry Magazine

~
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.




VICTORIAN hand painted
portrait of a lady in a tortoise frame, circa 1820.
View
View
View
View #a26493

CUPIDS hand painted on ivory in
soft delicate colors set into a gold colored metal frame with hinged
stand.
View
View
View #A50473

CUPID hand painted on ivory in
soft delicate colors set into a gold colored metal frame with hinged
stand and bow motif on top.
View
View
View
View
View #A50474







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.

Business card of an early portrait painter,
F. J. Borden of Swanton, Vermont


Many portrait painters traveled to find their
subjects, working in the client’s home.

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




VICTORIAN painted
porcelain portrait brooch, 2" with tiny factory face "dimple".
View #V24885
VICTORIAN portrait
brooch 2-1/4" in gold tone frame.
View #V24860
VICTORIAN vintage lady
transfer with hand painted details on porcelain portrait pin.
View #V24933


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

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

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".
View #V29889

VICTORIAN jet pendant with
painted lady portrait, 2".
View #V25926




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 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 painted
cherub portrait on porcelain with hair compartment on the back, 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
CHERUB hand
painted painted cherub buckle, 2-1/2".
View #i26388




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

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

VICTORIAN 18k yellow
gold portrait pierced earrings, pendant portion 1-1/3".
View
View #V27338




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



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

ROSENSTEIN
portrait enameled on metal set in gold tone with clear rhinestones brooch,
2-3/4". View
#X27683

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 gold and black enameled frame
and a narrow chain that wraps tightly around her neck and then hangs
down long, probably to her waist or slightly below. Marked on the back,
"Geo. F. Klein, 288 West Madison St, Chicago", 2-1/2" by 4-1/8".
View
View








VICTORIAN vulcanite
locket with fuchsia flowers, 4 photo compartments, 2-1/8".
View #V25284


VICTORIAN
vulcanite 2" locket on 4-1/2" of chain.
View
View #V25357

VICTORIAN vulcanite
locket in ornate shield motif, 3-1/4".
View #V25285




VICTORIAN photo
brooch in gold filled frame showing a lovely lady wearing her fanciest
hat, 2". View
#V25999

VICTORIAN
hand-colored photo brooch set in silver. Note the pendant watch she
wears.
View #V16809


PHOTOGRAPH
multi-colored enamel photo portrait brooch signed on the
back and dated 1903. View
#V23944




HEART-shaped
1-1/2" locket engraved "MLK" with charming photos of a couple inside. The
chain is 16" long. View
View #Y21474

VICTORIAN
round glass locket with star motif, ruby and pearls, 1-1/2", on 10k yellow
gold 19" newer chain. View
#V26680

GRADUATE photo brooch.
#Y16426




SILVER frame/brooch
circa 1930. View
#Q16810

SOLDIER photo
pin, probably given to a sweetheart, as enameled forget-me-nots surround
the frame. #V16405

VICTORIAN
1-7/16" photo pin of a charming little girl.
View #V18686


HOBE cameo
locket on a chain with photos inside.
View
View #O20244