Gifts of Grandeur: The Wild Jewel, c. 1590

"The Wild Jewel"
Turquoise Cameo of Elizabeth I set in gold with diamonds, rubies and pearls.
1590
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Known as “The Wild Jewel,” this pendant jewel in gold and enamel is set with diamonds and rubies and encloses a turquoise cameo of Queen Elizabeth I.  It is hung with pearls.

The jewel was made circa 1590 in England.  It was lent to the Victoria and Albert Museum for the Special Loan Exhibition of 1862 by James.W. Wild.  Mr. Wild was closely connected to the Museum and was also the architect of the Bethnal Green Museum and of the V&A's Architectural Courts.

According to the tradition in the Wild family, the jewel, along with a lace christening robe, was given by Elizabeth I to a god-daughter of the family.  

Unusual Artifacts: An Italian Coral Amulet, c. 1600

Carved Coral Amulet
Italy, Seventeenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A carved coral amulet, this jewel was made in Italy around 1600 and was intended as a baby gift. Mounted in enameled gold filigree, the piece is carved with a bird meant to protect the child from harm. 

The amulet could have been suspended from a ribbon over the cradle or, perhaps, hung from a rattle.

Mastery of Design: The Dunne "Graces" Brooch, c. 1850

Click image to enlarge.

Cameo Brooch
England, 1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A brooch of shell cameo, this jewel was designed to hold a lock or plait of hair, or possibly an image, in the glazed compartment at the reverse. Most likely, it was made as a memorial jewel, but it could have been intended as a sentimental gift between lovers or friends.

The cameo depicts a scene of The Three Graces. Mounted in gold, the cameo is set with garnets. It was made in England around 1850 by a now unknown maker.  it was given to the V&A by Miss Edith Dunne.  

Mastery of Design: A Curious Sapphire Dress-Pin, 100-130

Dress Pin
Roman, 100-130
The British Museum

Here's a curious, but attractive bit of sparkle from The British Museum.  This Roman dress-pin dates to about 100-130.  A work of carved sapphire and wrought gold, the piece depicts the bust of a woman sporting an elaborate coiffure.  The odd part of the bust's hairdo is that, in the reverse, it reveals the face of a child.  Hmmmm...

A modern gold pedestal was added to the original wrought gold setting which included the small diamond that's still visible at the bodice of the bust.  

Mastery of Design: The Dunne "Graces" Brooch, c. 1850

Click image to enlarge.

Cameo Brooch
England, 1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A brooch of shell cameo, this jewel was designed to hold a lock or plait of hair, or possibly an image, in the glazed compartment at the reverse. Most likely, it was made as a memorial jewel, but it could have been intended as a sentimental gift between lovers or friends.

The cameo depicts a scene of The Three Graces. Mounted in gold, the cameo is set with garnets. It was made in England around 1850 by a now unknown maker.  it was given to the V&A by Miss Edith Dunne.  

Mastery of Design: The Pozzuoli Girandole Earring, 1800-1850

Click image for detail.

Earring
Italy, 1800-1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Italian jewelers are often heralded for their lavish designs, but, it’s important to note that, historically, the Italian jewelers are also some of the best at using materials in creative and unexpected ways.

For example, jewelers at the south of Italy took advantage of the warm Mediterranean waters and farmed the gorgeous seed pearls which, there, were abundant in the days before the Industrial Age. Thin gold wires allowed the pearls to be fastened in glorious clusters. This fashion, almost evocative of food, grew into delicious, rich mounts of densely-set multi-colored stones. No more so was this lush style apparent than on the earrings created in Italy in the early to mid Nineteenth Century when Italian women’s appetites for ear baubles was at an all-time high. Grand Tour visitors to Italy noted the glorious earrings sported by the Italian women and brought the fashion to London, and Paris where girandole earrings soon dangled from the most aristocratic lobes.

Here’s a smashing example of such a girandole earring. Sadly, we’ve only got one. Made in Pozzuoli in Campania between 1800 and 1850, this earring has an interesting story. It was shown at the International Exhibition of Paris in 1867 as a perfect representation of Italian craftsmanship. There, despite its uncertain date of creation and unknown jeweler, it became a star of the show. A representative of the famed jewelry firm of Castellani purchased the piece to add to their growing display of Italian Peasant Jewelry—a collection which was used by the firm as inspiration for their own wares. The earring was praised for its enormously rich design as well as the cleverness of the addition of a ribbon (now lost) through the gold loop at the top of the jewel. This ribbon could be tied around the ear to relieve the strain that the heavy jewel would have placed on the earlobe. The earring served its purpose for Castellani who copied it and adapted the style into its archaeologically-inspired line of jewels. 

Let’s look at it, shall we? The girandole earring is adorned in the Southern Italian style with strings of seed pearls. These surround conical mounts which appear to be set with rubies. They are not, however, rubies. They are, in fact, pink sapphires which are backed in red foil. Small pastes of green wax imitate emeralds. The overall effect is one of pure luxury. 

Mastery of Design: The Wild Jewel, c. 1590

"The Wild Jewel"
Turquoise Cameo of Elizabeth I set in gold with diamonds, rubies and pearls.
1590
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Known as “The Wild Jewel,” this pendant jewel in gold and enamel is set with diamonds and rubies and encloses a turquoise cameo of Queen Elizabeth I.  It is hung with pearls.

The jewel was made circa 1590 in England.  It was lent to the Victoria and Albert Museum for the Special Loan Exhibition of 1862 by James.W. Wild.  Mr. Wild was closely connected to the Museum and was also the architect of the Bethnal Green Museum and of the V&A's Architectural Courts.

According to the tradition in the Wild family, the jewel, along with a lace christening robe, was given by Elizabeth I to a god-daughter of the family.  

Mastery of Design: The Dunne "Graces" Brooch, c. 1850

Click image to enlarge.

Cameo Brooch
England, 1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A brooch of shell cameo, this jewel was designed to hold a lock or plait of hair, or possibly an image, in the glazed compartment at the reverse. Most likely, it was made as a memorial jewel, but it could have been intended as a sentimental gift between lovers or friends.

The cameo depicts a scene of The Three Graces. Mounted in gold, the cameo is set with garnets. It was made in England around 1850 by a now unknown maker.  it was given to the V&A by Miss Edith Dunne.  

Mastery of Design: An Italian Coral Amulet, c. 1600

Carved Coral Amulet
Italy, Seventeenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A carved coral amulet, this jewel was made in Italy around 1600 and was intended as a baby gift. Mounted in enameled gold filigree, the piece is carved with a bird meant to protect the child from harm. 

The amulet could have been suspended from a ribbon over the cradle or, perhaps, hung from a rattle.

Mastery of Design: The Dresden Quartz Lamb, 1750

Click Image for detail.
Box of quartz, diamonds, rubies, gold and silver
Dresden, Germany
circa 1750
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This amethystine quartz box with gold mounts, brilliant-cut diamonds set in silver and rubies set in gold is one of two jeweled, sculptural sheep on exhibit at the V&A. This one was made in Dresden, Germany, circa 1750.

An object of such valuable materials was made more so for display than it was daily use, but it could have once housed some prized or precious items. Clearly, the box has avoided constant handling as it is in excellent condition. Today, the maker of the piece is unknown, but the exquisite workmanship of the object is a lasting testament to the artist’s immense skill. 

Mastery of Design: The Wild Jewel, c. 1590

"The Wild Jewel"
Turquoise Cameo of Elizabeth I set in gold with diamonds, rubies and pearls.
1590
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Known as “The Wild Jewel,” this pendant jewel in gold and enamel is set with diamonds and rubies and encloses a turquoise cameo of Queen Elizabeth I.  It is hung with pearls.

The jewel was made circa 1590 in England.  It was lent to the Victoria and Albert Museum for the Special Loan Exhibition of 1862 by James.W. Wild.  Mr. Wild was closely connected to the Museum and was also the architect of the Bethnal Green Museum and of the V&A's Architectural Courts.

According to the tradition in the Wild family, the jewel, along with a lace christening robe, was given by Elizabeth I to a god-daughter of the family.