Vintage Gold Virgin Mary
These vintage gold virgin mary pendants combine devotional devotion with French metalwork, offering wearable history crafted in yellow gold and enamel.
Vintage Gold Virgin Mary
A vintage gold virgin mary selection consists primarily of religious pendants, medals and charms originating from France during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These devotional pieces often depict the Madonna and child or specific sacred titles like Notre Dame of Lourdes.
Most examples found here date from around nineteen ten and are struck in yellow gold, frequently accompanied by mother of pearl, enamel, or seed pearls. Forms range from simple oval medals to pierced frames and delicate charm pendants designed for daily wear.
Materials and Construction
Goldsmiths utilised eighteen carat yellow gold alongside rose and white gold variants to form the base structures of these devotional objects. Techniques such as plique a jour enamel allowed light to pass through coloured glass sections, creating stained glass effects within the metal frame.
Surface decoration frequently involved intricate hand engraving, relief stamping, and the integration of natural materials like mother of pearl backings. Seed pearls were often set delicately around the borders to frame the central sacred image.
Listings span periods from the seventeenth century through to the nineteen fifties, with the majority originating in France.
Distinctions in Craftsmanship
The complexity of decorative techniques also determines distinction, particularly the condition of translucent enamel work like plique a jour. Intact enamelling and securely set pearls indicate higher workshop standards.
Emile Monier·Emile Dropsy·Sellier·Mazzoni·Serraz
The Vintage Gold Virgin Mary Glossary
- Plique a jour
- An enamelling technique where colour is fired into open cells without a backing, resembling miniature stained glass. It allows light to illuminate the translucent enamel from behind.
- Miraculous medal
- A specific devotional pendant design associated with an apparition of the Virgin Mary, featuring standard devotional iconography on an oval metal ground.
- Seed pearl
- Very small natural pearls often drilled and threaded or individually grain set to ornament the borders of Victorian and Edwardian jewellery.
- Mother of pearl
- The iridescent inner layer of mollusc shells, carved and polished to provide a luminous background surface for mounted gold figures.
- Medal
- A flat piece of metal struck with commemorative or religious imagery, frequently fitted with a loop to be worn as a pendant.
Vintage Gold Virgin Mary: Frequently Asked Questions
What metal is used?
These items are principally constructed from eighteen carat yellow gold, occasionally incorporating rose or white gold elements in the mounting.
The gold content provides a durable and warm setting for the detailed religious medals and charms found across the collection.
How were pendants worn?
Devotional medals were traditionally suspended from delicate chains as personal talismans or worn close to the heart for protection and prayer.
Many examples include original suspension loops designed for attachment to necklaces or charm bracelets.
When were they made?
The majority of these pieces originate from the late nineteenth century through to the nineteen thirties, with a strong concentration around nineteen ten.
French workshops dominated this production during the Art Nouveau and early twentieth century periods.
What is plique a jour?
Plique a jour is a glass-firing technique that leaves no metal backing behind the enamel, creating a translucent panel similar to miniature stained glass.
This method requires exceptional skill to prevent the enamel from cracking during the cooling process.