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English Edwardian oval photograph locket, circa 1900-1910, hand-engraved with a swallow in flight over flowering branches on one face and a floral wreath tied with a ribbon bow on the other. Opens to two empty compartments.
WHAT \"9CT BACK & FRONT\" MEANS - PLEASE READ THIS FIRST
The locket is stamped 9CT BACK & FRONT. This is a specific English construction, and I want you to understand exactly what you are buying before you buy it.
The front and back panels are 9ct gold. The inner frames, the hinge and the rim are base metal. That is how these were made - solid gold is too soft for a hinge that will be opened thousands of times, so the maker used gold where it shows and base metal where it works.
It is not a solid gold locket and I am not selling it as one. You can see the base metal frames in the interior photographs; I have not cleaned or hidden them.
This construction has its own collector market and its own name. If you are searching for these, \"9ct back and front\" is the term.
THE SWALLOW
The swallow is the reason a locket like this is sought after rather than ordinary. In Edwardian jewellery the swallow meant safe return, loyalty and everlasting love - swallows mate for life and come back to the same nest. They were given between people who expected to be parted.
Most surviving back-and-front lockets carry plain engine-turning or a simple monogram. Engraved figural work, and a swallow in particular, is the uncommon end of the category.
DETAILS
Marks: 9CT BACK & FRONTPeriod: Edwardian, circa 1900-1910Origin: EnglandWeight: 3.36 g on a calibrated 0.01 g scale (photo included)Size: 25 x 20 mm body, 31 mm including the bailOpens to: two photograph compartments, both emptyChain: not included
CONDITION
Good antique condition, shown honestly rather than flattered.
The engraving is crisp on both faces with no rubbing through. There is light surface scratching on the wreath side, visible in the photographs. The hinge is sound, the locket closes flush, and the bail is firm. The interior shows the darkened patina normal to the base metal frames on this construction - that is age, not damage.
Photographed uncleaned and unpolished.
Ships insured with tracking.
