Blessed Virgin Mary Charm
These blessed virgin mary charm pieces are devotional pendants in yellow gold, often French and set with enamel, seed pearls, or mother of pearl.
Blessed Virgin Mary Charm
When you search for a blessed virgin mary charm, you are looking at small devotional medals and pendants designed to be worn on a chain or attached to a bracelet. The versions most commonly met on this page are French religious pieces dating from the early twentieth century, spanning periods from Victorian and Art Nouveau to Art Deco and mid-century jewellery.
These items typically take the form of round or oval pendants, often combining the Virgin Mary or the Madonna and Child with inscriptions such as Notre Dame of Lourdes or Ave Maria. They serve simultaneously as personal religious devotions and as miniature works of decorative metalwork.
How they were made
The metals used in these pieces are predominantly 18ct and 18K yellow gold, occasionally complemented by white gold or platinum settings. Artisans employed traditional techniques such as plique-a-jour enamel to let light pass through translucent coloured sections, creating a stained glass effect on the medal surface.
Many examples incorporate organic materials, mounting carved mother of pearl plaques or setting delicate seed pearls and small diamonds directly into the gold frame to accent the devotional imagery.
Blessed Virgin Mary Charm Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for blessed virgin mary 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.
Several charms preserve the secret signatures of prolific Parisian medallists who recorded French piety in miniature gold.
What varies in quality
The grade of hand-applied enamel work and the integration of decorative borders set with pearls or diamonds separate standard production charms from exceptional jewelled commissions.
Emile Monier·Pageli Perriat·Emile Dropsy·Sellier·Serraz·Augis and Mazzoni
The Blessed Virgin Mary Charm Glossary
- Plique-a-jour
- An enamelling technique where the enamel is fired without a backing, leaving translucent cells that resemble miniature stained glass. This method requires considerable skill to avoid cracking during the firing process.
- Medal
- A flat piece of stamped or cast metal bearing a commemorative or religious design. In jewellery, these are often pierced with a suspension loop to function as pendants.
- Mother of pearl
- The iridescent inner layer of mollusc shells, carved and polished for use as a luminous background behind gold religious figures. It was frequently utilised in turn of the century devotional pieces.
- Seed pearl
- Very small natural or cultured pearls, often threaded and sewn or set into jewellery designs. They provide a soft, lustrous border around central gold medallions.
- Devotional
- Pertaining to religious worship or private prayer, describing items created specifically to aid spiritual reflection. These objects often carry specific iconography associated with shrines or saints.
Blessed Virgin Mary Charm: Frequently Asked Questions
How are these charms worn?
These pieces include a suspension loop or bale, allowing them to hang from a neck chain or attach directly to a charm bracelet.
Their compact size makes them suitable for daily wear either singly or grouped with other small pendants.
What periods do these pieces come from?
The available selection primarily dates from the early twentieth century, spanning the Victorian era through Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and mid-century French jewellery.
Stylistic shifts during these decades influenced the framing, lettering, and decorative enamel techniques used on the medals.
Are these items marked for gold purity?
Many French medals carry small workshop stamps or purity marks on the suspension ring or edge, indicating standard gold content.
These tiny assay marks help identify the origin and approximate date of manufacture.