1860s Victorian 18k Gold Ruby Pearl Locket

A wondrous c. 1860s Victorian locket, inlaid with natural rubies and pearls, and of solid 18k yellow gold construction. The surfaces have been acid-treated to achieve a matte bloomed surface; when held, this locket has the texture and feel of a warm golden quail egg. A rather unusual and rare design for picture frames can be found within the interior: a series of three gold frames can be folded in and expanded out like an accordion.

Led by English jewelers working in the 1860s, the mid-Victorian era saw the emergence of elegant and handsome jewelry in acid-treated matte gold, which favored simplistic contours and expert craftsmanship. The beauty of this type of jewelry can be seen in several oil paintings of the 1860s: ‘Monna Pomona’ by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1864; ‘Portrait of Grace Rose’ by Frederick Sandys (1866); ‘The Children’s Holiday: Portrait of Mrs THomas Fairbairn and her Children’ by William Holman Hunt (1864).

Regarding this topic, Henri Vever wrote in ‘French Jewelry of the Nineteenth Century’:

“The fashion for these massive, plain, heavy and solid pieces became widespread and they are properly admired to this day. No material was spared in the elaboration of these jewels, which appealed not only for their ‘opulence’ but also for their great simplicity. Contrary to popular belief, they required meticulous craftsmanship since, on a smooth surface, the slightest imprecise or clumsy use of a file leaves irreparable blemishes. Unless one is in the trade, it is impossible to conceive the difficulties of making a locket that opens accurately and neatly […] One has to success at the first attempt since any subsequent alterations are impossible. The English had invented this particular type of jewel and it brought them much success.”