What are 18th century pendants made of?

These pieces combine precious metals like gold and silver with painted elements on ivory, vellum, glass, and agate. Many incorporate enamel, foil-backed paste stones, or silhouette work. Craftsmen housed these delicate artworks in bespoke frames designed to protect the fragile painted surfaces while allowing them to be worn.

How did people wear portrait pendants?

Wearers suspended these personal items from ribbons, cords, or precious metal chains around the neck, keeping the likeness close to the chest. Some designs functioned interchangeably as brooches or featured integrated hair compartments on the reverse. This manner of display reflected deeply personal connections, memorialising absent family members, spouses, or respected public figures.

How do I identify Georgian portrait miniatures?

Authentic period examples exhibit eighteenth-century costume details, hairstyles, and painting techniques specific to miniaturists working before the nineteenth century. The reverse often reveals woven hairwork, cipher engravings, or period maker inscriptions. Examining the construction of the metal frame and the backing material provides further clues to dating the object accurately.

Are these miniatures painted on ivory?

Many eighteenth-century portrait miniatures utilise thin slices of elephant ivory as the painting ground, which imparted a luminous, skin-like glow to the finished portrait. Other pieces employ vellum, card, or glass surfaces depending on the artist's preference. The thin ivory sheet was typically laid onto card or metal backing within the pendant frame for structural support.