IN 19TH CENTURY England, tiny seed pearls perfectly suited the Neoclassical taste for intricacy and restraint. Large natural pearls were so rare that most people would never see one, let alone own one. Seed pearls were way more available: they could be harvested in large quantities from freshwater mussels in Europe and America, making pearl jewelry more accessible while retaining its associations with refinement and virtue. A dense, lacy surface of many sewn-on seed pearls may read to us as fussy now, but in the Romantic period, people wanted to exhibit morality over conspicuous display. Unless you were at court, or posing for an aristocratic portrait - then bring on the giant orbs.
MATERIALS: 14k gold (tests), seed pearls, mother of pearl, rock crystal lenses
AGE: c. 1860
CONDITION: Very good
SIZE: 2 1/8" length including the bale, 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" locket