A finely engineered Victorian locket is built around a miniature working compass. The outer form recalls the brass pulley wheels used aboard 19th-century ships - a nautical reference to exploration and mapping. Compasses appear in Victorian jewelry as sentimental keepsakes for sailors and symbolic references to steadiness, direction, and finding one’s way. The mechanism is housed in gold and the interior is accessible so the wearer could keep a photograph inside. Mother of pearl was chosen for the panels perhaps because it carries an echo of shells. In the 19th century, a trusted compass was both a navigational tool and a talisman that reassured travelers heading into unfamiliar territory. What keeps you moving in the right direction?
MATERIALS: 14k gold (tests), mother of pearl slabs and compass wheel, glass lenses
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good - a few minor but visible dents and dings on both sides; we've replaced the locket lenses
SIZE: 1 1/2" x 1" x 1/2"