Victorian Green 👑✨

We’ve all read the Buzzfeed headline once or twice; Victorian Women Die In The Name of Fashion- and to their click baiting credit, with good reason; there are scores of evidence that the Victorian obsession with the shade was lethal. Scheele’s Green was all the rage on Victoria’s Island. The gowns, the gloves, the wallpapers, the tinsels- nursery carpets, green faux flower paints poisoned the fashionable, and the factory folk by the dozen- all in the name of remaining a la mode. But few recall what many Victorian anthropologists consider the genesis of this phenomenon; Victoria’s emerald engagement ring, constructed of a large snake, crowned with a pear shaped emerald. No images remain of the beastly jewel, but the ubiquity of emerald and green jewelry swelled in the following decades. This drop explores three different shades of green, each with their own tale to tell.

This first treasure is a Peridot and White Enamel Bar Brooch in 18k. During the late 1800’s, stars were the most popular jewelry motif. They were carved into the tops of amethysts and carbuncles, centered on brooches, bracelets, and lockets, and pavéd often with diamonds, pearls, and other gemstones. These early stars were relatively flat but later in the century, a more dimensional form of the motif would emerge. Featuring the colors of American suffrage, this wonderful brooch is an outstanding example of late 19th-century craftspersonship. Small details like golden “stars” in the white enamel halos surrounding the Old European Cut peridots, the finest chain, suspending the natural river pearl, and an outstanding reeded bar connecting them signals that this small bauble was made for a figure of importance and wealth.

Next treasure, a 15k, Platinum, Diamond, and Emerald Band. Emeralds have a vibrant green color that creates beautifully focal jewelry. Their gorgeous hue has beautified many pieces of value throughout the ages. In fact, emeralds of the optimal shade and transparency can be even more valuable than a diamond - so why not both?! A playful vintage band is one of the finest “five” stone jewels we’ve had the pleasure of handling recently. Emeralds of .13cts each are extremely finely set with two-diamond-stations in platinum. Possibly English or Continental European. Presenting beautifully.

Lastly, an Extremely Rare Victorian Egyptian Revival Enamel Lotus Earrings. I can count on one and a half hands the number of true Victorian Egyptian Revival pieces I’ve had… most of them are still in my personal collection. It is with great the generous succor of my mom that I’m able to offer these up. Two Scheele’s Green (no arsenic necessary!) enamel lotus blossoms are inverted to form each conical earring, separated by a sterling ring of sweet rose cut diamonds. These earrings are superb, dating between 1870-1880. They are likely English in origin, and have been lovely upgraded with the shepheard hook ear wires at some point in their long beautification career. This brilliant green enamel is hand painted, with some areas appearing darker than others. Egyptian revival jewelry had achieved such fame and notoriety in collecting circles in the past few decades, it is an honor to handle so rare a pair. Check out the new treasures on our site!