Vintage 18K Gold Horse Pendant Seal: Victorian Elegance

An exquisite vintage antique pendant seal from around 1840, featuring a standing horse with a raised foreleg, crafted in 18K yellow gold. This piece hails from the Romantic Victorian Period, a time of sentimental and symbolic designs inspired by Queen Victoria's love and devotion. The horse, a universal symbol of freedom, is beautifully rendered in this pendant, reflecting the era's intricate craftsmanship. Enhanced by a single carnelian stone, this pendant combines historical charm with artistic elegance. In very good condition, it likely originates from France or Belgium, as suggested by its hallmarks. A remarkable treasure for any collection.

Antique jewelry object group
pendant / seal

Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale

Country of origin
France or Belgium (see explanation on hallmarks further in text)

Style
Early-Victorian - Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior decoration. Victorian design is widely viewed as having indulged in a regrettable excess of ornament. The Arts and Crafts movement, the aesthetic movement, Anglo-Japanese style, and Art Nouveau style have their beginnings in the late Victorian era.
See also: early-Victorian
more info on styles

Style specifics
The Romantic Victorian Period - Experts divide the reign of Queen Victoria, also called The Victorian era (1837 - 1901) in to three periods of about twenty years each; The Romantic Victorian Period (1837 - 1860), The Grand Victorian Period (1860 - 1880), and the Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period (1880 - 1901).

We consider this to be of the Romantic Victorian Period. This period covers the coronation of Victoria as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and her marriage to King Albert and their love, their devotion to their marriage and to their country are the sources of inspiration for this period. The jewels of this period are made of intricate carvings, special techniques where the enamel is subtly worked. These techniques allowed to give the jewel a certain opulence with less precious metal needed. As precious metals were really rare at that time. Highly favored (semi-) precious stones in this period are amethyst, coral, garnets, seed pearls and turquoises. The connotation is obviously sentimental, symbolic and romantic with reminiscent Gothic and/or Renaissance patterns and an abundant use of motifs like anchors, birds, branches, crosses, hearts and snakes.

Period
ca. 1840
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Source of inspiration
Mother Nature

Theme
Horses - The horse is a universal symbol of freedom without restraint, because riding a horse made people feel they could free themselves from their own bindings.

Material 18K
yellow gold (touchstone tested)
more info on precious metals

Precious stones
One carnelian

Birthstones
Cornelian is the birthstone (or month stone) for July.
more info on birthstones

Hallmarks
The control mark here represents a horse’s head and was in use in Belgium from 1831 and in France from about 1838.
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
3,20 cm (1,26 inch) x 2,65 cm (1,04 inch) x 1,89 cm (0,74 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
8,90 gram (5,72 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
24106-0277

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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