Antique Cherub Charm
An antique cherub charm brings a small celestial figure into daily wear, usually found as a gold or silver pendant.
Antique Cherub Charm
An antique cherub charm represents winged putti and angels derived from religious and classical imagery, appearing across jewellery and small objects. When you search for an antique cherub charm, you encounter miniature gold medals, silver pendants, and small decorative items.
The pieces on this page span the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including Edwardian gold pendants and Victorian silver pill boxes. These items serve as personal adornments or decorative desk accessories shaped around the motif of the child angel.
While some examples take the form of flat gold medals set with diamonds or seed pearls, others exist as figural silver boxes and small bronze sculptures. The common thread is the winged figure, rendered in metal, mother of pearl, or carved wood.
How they were made
The creation of these pieces relies on casting, carving, and metalwork techniques suited to small decorative objects. Craftsmen shaped precious metals like sterling silver and eighteen-carat gold into pendants, pill boxes, and dishes using stamping and piercing methods.
Sculptural forms utilise bronze and brass, often patinated or gilded, alongside carved wood and variegated marble for architectural supports and clocks. Miniature paintings and mother of pearl plaques also appear, set within gold frames to form wearable pendants.
Antique Cherub Charm Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for cherub charm among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
The listings span from the eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, utilising sterling silver, eighteen-carat gold, bronze, carved wood, and marble.
What varies in quality
Material selection and the integration of secondary elements, such as diamonds, seed pearls, or baroque pearls, dictate the level of refinement. The weight of the metal and the precision of pierced silver work further distinguish exceptional items from simpler novelties.
Claude Michael Clodion·William Comyns
The Antique Cherub Charm Glossary
- Putto
- A plump, naked male child figure often depicted with wings in classical art. This term frequently interchanges with cherub in descriptions of nineteenth-century decorative arts.
- Medal pendant
- A medallion-shaped ornament designed to be suspended from a chain. These often feature painted or low-relief portraits of celestial figures.
- Baroque pearl
- An irregularly shaped pearl valued for its organic form. They appear in jewellery from the nineteenth century onwards.
- Patinated bronze
- Bronze that has been treated to produce a decorative surface finish or colour. This technique adds depth to sculptural details.
- Pierced dish
- Metalware formed by cutting openwork patterns through the material. This method creates decorative lattice designs on silver baskets and dishes.
Antique Cherub Charm: Frequently Asked Questions
What is an antique cherub charm?
An antique cherub charm is a small decorative pendant, medal, or figural object depicting a winged child figure. These pieces date primarily from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
They were produced in materials ranging from eighteen-carat gold and sterling silver to bronze and brass, often incorporating gemstones or enamel.
How were silver pill boxes used?
Silver pill boxes with cherub lids served to hold small medications or breath mints carried in pockets or handbags. Their ornate repoussé and pierced covers made them fashionable personal accessories during the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
Today, they function as small collectible containers for display or safekeeping.
How do I date a gold pendant?
Dating a gold pendant involves examining the purity marks, style of the mounting, and any accompanying stones like seed pearls or diamonds. Edwardian and Victorian pieces often exhibit specific hallmarks and manufacturing techniques unique to their decade.
Comparing the artistic style to known periods like the Belle Epoque provides further chronological context.
What is the difference between a cherub and a putto?
A putto originates from classical mythology as a winged infant, while a cherub belongs to celestial hierarchy in religious tradition. In antique descriptions, the terms are frequently used interchangeably to describe winged child figures.
Both motifs became popular during revival periods in the nineteenth century across decorative objects and jewellery.