have a passion for collecting antique English silver book chains and lockets and have amassed quite a collection over the years. This one is from my personal collection, one of my most prized if not THE most prized and a very rare and gorgeous example from the Victorian era. The collar is unique in design, incredibly labor intensive with a stunning, jaw dropping complimenting locket with full English hallmarks, both in excellent condition.
The beautifully ornate silver collar has 87 attached larger finials on the outside of the book chain and extender and 81 smaller finials on the inside of the chain, all of which are intact considering its age. In the middle of the links are pierced starburst designs in the front of the chain and plain in the back. The book chain measures at 14.4mm in width and a length of 17.5" without counting the extender, and has both the original period bolt rings and another 1.5" section as the locket extender drop (total length of 19"). The locket extender is original to the piece and incredibly hard to find these days in tact, which makes it very versatile to wear with or without the extender as seen in the photos.
Where to begin about this incredibly rare locket. It measures at a bold 1.6" by 1.4" without the counting the original blown, articulating bail. With the bail it is 2.1". One of the uncommon feature is the bail. Normally plain but this one has pierced starburst design both on the front and back. The locket also has petite finials all intact along with an exterior ring of pierced starbursts both of which match the book chain perfectly. On the locket are two rare curved bars embedded with marcasites all leading to last but not least, a gorgeous, faceted peachy pink morganite paste, all in excellent condition. The back of the locket does have scratches and small dings that is commensurate with the age but does not affect the wearability being in the back and is in quite remarkable condition considering its age. In all my years I have never come across an antique locket that features a beautiful center stone with accent stones surrounding it. I have seen on rare occasions a few splattering of tiny stones but nothing so remarkable as this piece. You can be sure you will not come across anything remotely similar to this one of a kind jaw dropping piece.
It is fully hallmarked for Sterling Birmingham, with the letter m for 1886, and a maker's D, making this a very collectible piece. No glass nor retaining rings inside of the locket just black felt ovals.
The collar is unmarked which is common but tested to be sterling silver. An incredibly rare and remarkable versatile piece of accessory in history and can be worn with or without the extender as pictured in the photos. Both pieces together weigh at a total weigh of 51 grams.