Art Nouveau locket made of "Gold Doublé" on a gold-plated silver chain, circa 1910

A democratic jewel

Art Nouveau locket made of "Gold Doublé" on a gold-plated silver chain, circa 1910

€ 229.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

In the course of the 19th century, a new group of buyers came to the attention of jewelry makers with the financially and politically growing bourgeoisie. Jewellery was no longer made solely from precious gold and gemstones, but also from cheaper materials that could be used to create decorative designs in all the latest fashions. This photo medallion from around 1910 is one such piece, which at first glance appears to be made of gold. However, it is actually made of so-called "gold doublé" (see: "Find out more"), also known as rolled gold: A thin layer of gold was rolled onto a base metal under high pressure. This special type of gilding is therefore particularly thick and durable, and can even be engraved! The rolled gold is combined here with two small red glass stones that hang out of the engraved garland at the top edge like precious pendulums. Inside, two small frames provide space for cropped photos, which were available to a large section of society with the popularization of photography around 1900. A gold-plated sterling silver chain completes the pendant. The locket came to us from a Berlin estate.

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The locket from around 1910 is made of warm gold rolled onto a metal core and was most likely made in Pforzheim. The city at the foot of the Black Forest was the undisputed center of German jewelry production. Goldsmiths have been working in Pforzheim since the 16th century, and their traditions and expertise still form the basis of the jewelry created by local manufacturers today. A particular specialty of the town, which had long since identified less wealthy clientele as its main customers, was jewellery made of gold doublé. The process of mechanically combining a base metal with gold originally came from England, but it was only in Pforzheim that the decisive step towards industrial production with outstanding quality took place. This made it possible to create appealing jewellery that, even at second glance, hardly differed from real gold.

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Size & Details

A democratic jewel

€ 229.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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A democratic jewel

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