Antique Locket Pendant with Rose Cut Diamonds in Gold, Vienna, c. 1880

In the 19th century, the world was not yet as connected as it is today—yet it was actually more connected than one might think. In Victorian London in 1889, mail was delivered twelve times a day, from early morning through the evening, making even spontaneous messages and arrangements possible. Telegrams could also be sent over long distances. However, those who wanted not only to read or hear the words of a loved one but also to see them turned to a locket containing a portrait or even a lock of hair as a tangible memento. Numerous photo lockets in a wide variety of designs emerged, particularly in the last third of the century. This particular locket, for example, is designed as a large circle featuring an elegant arrangement: on a highly polished central field rises a cross-shaped arrangement of five diamond roses. The stones are set in so-called buttercup settings. The setting of the central diamond rose is accented with black enamel. A wide openwork frame is decorated with spiral tendrils in the Historicist style. This area is otherwise simple, yet the frame is given a velvety appearance by a matte, fine gold plating on the solid gold body—a look that is quite characteristic of jewellery from this period. The polished central plate, made of reddish gold, stands out strikingly against it. On the back of the pendant, a glass-covered frame allows for the storage of a photograph or a lock of hair. The pendant bears a hallmark indicating that it was made in Vienna. Its design suggests it was created around 1880.

Estimation:€1,980

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