Victorian Carved Whitby Jet 9ct Gold Bird Earrings

Name: Victorian Carved Whitby Jet 9ct Gold Bird Earrings
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA948876
Availability: SoldOut

19th century

Sold by Corvidae Antique

Description

These beautifully detailed Victorian swallows are a rare find, hand carved in jet with incredible detail on the wings. The birds are suspended on solid nine-carat gold ear wires.

In Victorian England a flying swallow was traditionally considered a token of good luck and the bird represented enduring love and loyalty, as the swallow mates for life.

Jet is a type of coal, made from driftwood which sinks to the floor of the sea and becomes slowly buried in mud, hardening over millions of years. Victorian jet, now extremely collectible, largely comes from the English seaside town of Whitby - not to be confused with "French jet", which is actually black glass. Jet was popularised by Queen Victoria, who wore only black mourning jewellery following the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert in 1861. Jet was expensive - both limited in supply and requiring skilled craftsmanship to carve without breaking.

The earrings are in very good antique condition; we see no cracking or chips to the jet, just some wear to the edge surfaces.

Size: The birds measure approximately 1.7cm diameter and the total drop from the top of the ear wire is 2.5cm.

Weight: 1.4g.

FREE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING!

Apologies but we cannot ship to Germany, any orders from Germany will be cancelled and refunded.

Antique boxes pictured are not included unless specified; your item will come in a new box.

Physical Dimensions

Height

2.5cm (0.98")

Width

1.7cm (0.67")

Depth

1cm (0.39")

Declaration

Corvidae Antique has dated this piece to the Victorian era.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA948876

Dealers Notes

Antique and vintage boxes photographed are for display only and are not included unless stated in the description.

Please be sure to examine all the photos carefully as they form part of the description, and do feel free to ask if you have any questions, we’re always happy to help where we can!

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UK DELIVERY: Free! All items to UK addresses are shipped via Royal Mail Special Delivery.

DELIVERY OUTSIDE THE UK: Free for purchases over £125. For purchases below £125, shipping to addresses outside the UK costs £20. All international deliveries are sent via Royal Mail's Tracked International service.

If you'd like to email us please ensure you have checked your spam/junkmail folder if you have not received a reply within 24 hours. Many thanks! corvidaejewels@gmail.com

Description

These beautifully detailed Victorian swallows are a rare find, hand carved in jet with incredible detail on the wings. The birds are suspended on solid nine-carat gold ear wires.

“

In Victorian England a flying swallow was traditionally considered a token of good luck and the bird represented enduring love and loyalty, as the swallow mates for life.

Corvidae Antique

fig 1. Victorian Carved Whitby Jet 9CT Gold Bird Earrings — fig 1. Victorian Carved Whitby Jet 9ct Gold Bird Earrings

Jet is a type of coal, made from driftwood which sinks to the floor of the sea and becomes slowly buried in mud, hardening over millions of years. Victorian jet, now extremely collectible, largely comes from the English seaside town of Whitby - not to be confused with "French jet", which is actually black glass. Jet was popularised by Queen Victoria, who wore only black mourning jewellery following the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert in 1861. Jet was expensive - both limited in supply and requiring skilled craftsmanship to carve without breaking.