Antique Victorian Sterling Silver Vermeil Aesthetic Period 2 LARGE Leaf Locket

Fresh looking, soft wear is noticeable only on close inspection. The vermeil finish has a bright patina without any thinning and very little surface wear. There is a small spot of scuffing/scratching on the bottom right side of the locket which is noticeable only on very close inspection. There are no dents to the shape of the locket it is full and puffy.

There are no irregularities to the setting or signs of solder or repair. The locket has two original frames and no plastic/glass inserts. Secure, and original - snaps shut nicely. Sterling silver (if the piece is not marked it is tested for silver content).

Made by hand or in small groups of similar styles, vintage jewelry is individualistic with its own special story. During the Victorian era, floriography (the language of flowers) was a significant way people communicated and expressed their feelings and sentiment with each other. This Victorian locket is slightly puffy in shape and golden in color, with a design of three ivy leaves etched prominently at the front. The ivy leaf was a symbol of fidelity, friendship and eternity. In beautiful script the original owner's initials are monogrammed at the back.

A young Queen Victoria assumed her role in 1837 and her taste in jewelry quickly became culturally influential, within England and beyond. Her relationship to jewelry was enmeshed with her husband, Prince Albert, who gifted the Queen for their engagement, a snake ring, embedded with an emerald (her birthstone) in its head.

Continuing from the Georgian era and intensified by Queen Victoria's taste, sentimental and figural jewelry was a major trend throughout the Victorian era. When certain ideas and words were deemed too forward or improper to be spoken, jewelry and symbolic meaning was used to communicate what was left unsaid.

When Prince Albert passed away in 1861, his death sent Victoria into a deep depression, and she mourned him for the remaining forty years of her life. Symbolism in antique and vintage jewelry is common, yet it can be hard to spot if you don't know what you're looking for. Often, specific natural gemstones, flowers, birds, and motifs like stars and anchors were imbued with meanings that have fallen out of present-day society's collective memory.

To appreciate the power of symbols in antique jewelry is to imagine what it would have been like to wear the piece and step back into history. _gsrx_vers_1318 GS 8.4 (1318). This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewelry\Necklaces & Pendants". The seller is "oxfordjewel" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada.

• Brand: Antique
• Antique: Yes
• Type: Pendant
• Metal Purity: 925
• Color: Gold
• Style: Locket
• Base Metal: Sterling Silver
• Original/Reproduction: Original
• Metal: Vermeil
• Jewelry Department: Fine
• Vintage: Yes