Vintage Turquoise Jewellery
Vintage turquoise jewellery brings together vibrant blue stones and warm gold or silver settings across Victorian, Edwardian and mid-century designs.
Vintage Turquoise Jewellery
Vintage turquoise jewellery spans rings, brooches, bracelets, earrings, pendants and longuard chains originating from the Victorian, Edwardian and mid-century periods. Pieces frequently combine the bright blue stones with pearls, diamonds, enamel or silver settings.
The most common forms on this page include Edwardian and Victorian floral drop earrings, cluster rings and pendants alongside Arts and Crafts silver work. Buyers encounter everything from delicate matrix turquoise negligee necklaces to robust gold charm pendants and matching jewellery sets.
Materials and construction
Goldsmiths set turquoise stones into 9ct rose and yellow gold, 15ct gold, 18ct gold, and silver, often pairing the bright blue cabochons with seed pearls, split pearls, and diamonds. Metalwork ranges from cast and chased yellow gold to delicate silver filigree and guilloche enamel.
Arts and Crafts makers utilised hand-hammered silver alongside matrix turquoise and opal, while Edwardian and Victorian workshops built intricate floral brooches, star pendants and hinged bangles using secure bezel and prong settings.
Vintage Turquoise Jewellery Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for vintage turquoise jewellery 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.
Listings feature 9ct and 18ct gold alongside silver, with turquoise frequently paired with seed pearls and enamel across multiple decades.
Evaluating quality and design
Quality rests on the depth and uniformity of the turquoise stones, the security of the settings, and the crispness of the surrounding metalwork or enamel. Stones with strong natural colour and minimal matrix disruption command attention.
Maker attribution and hallmarking also distinguish pieces, as documented workshops and signed pieces elevate the standing of a brooch, ring or pendant well above unmarked commercial work.
Deakin & Francis·The Gaskins·Murrle Bennett·Henry Matthews
The Vintage Turquoise Jewellery Glossary
- Cabochon
- A gemstone shaped and polished with a smooth, convex top rather than faceted. This cut suits opaque stones like turquoise by displaying their colour and natural matrix.
- Negligee necklace
- A pendant style featuring two drops suspended at different lengths, popular during the Edwardian and Arts and Crafts periods. They frequently incorporate pearls and turquoise.
- Matrix
- The host rock from which a gemstone is mined, appearing as web-like veins running through turquoise. Some collectors prize this natural patterning.
- Parure
- A matching set of jewellery designed to be worn together, typically including earrings, a necklace, a brooch and a ring. Surviving sets often use silver or gold with turquoise and pearls.
- Guilloche enamel
- Decorative enamel applied over metal engraved with a repetitive mechanical pattern. It adds translucent colour to silver brooches and compacts.
Vintage Turquoise Jewellery: Frequently Asked Questions
What periods do these pieces date from?
The listings encompass Victorian, Edwardian, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco and mid-century eras, spanning from the late nineteenth century through to the 1960s.
Each era brings distinct metal choices and motifs, moving from heavy yellow gold floral designs to sleek modernist gold and silver work.
How do I care for turquoise jewellery?
Turquoise is a softer, porous gemstone that absorbs oils, cosmetics and water easily. Clean pieces gently with a soft dry cloth and avoid chemical dips or ultrasonic cleaners.
Store items separately to prevent harder gemstones and diamonds from scratching the polished cabochon surfaces.
Are pearls natural on these items?
Many Edwardian and Victorian pieces incorporate natural seed pearls or split pearls alongside the turquoise stones in floral and star clusters.
These tiny pearls are typically half-drilled and glued or pegged onto gold pins within the brooch or earring settings.
What is matrix turquoise?
Matrix turquoise contains remnants of the host rock, creating dark spiderweb patterns across the bright blue stone. This natural variation appeared frequently in Arts and Crafts jewellery.
Such stones contrast with uniform, uniform-blue Persian turquoise popular in earlier Victorian fine jewellery.