Vintage Victorian Locket Memorial Gold Bracelet

Jewelry : Antique : Fine : Victorian : Locket Bracelet : Mourning : Memorial : Gold : 1860s

 

Presented for sale is a Victorian Mourning 10-14kt Locket bracelet from the 1860s. The bracelet is a gold band with a locket in the middle of the band. The locket opens up. There are 2 compartments. The compartment on the flip up top is for pictures. It has a glass cover fitted into a gold filled oval metal frame. The bottom compartment of the locket is big enough for some type of memorial object usually a hair memento . The bottom compartment has glass on both sides so that the contents of the compartment can be seen from inside the locket and on the bottom of the locket. The bottom compartment may be opened from either side.

The bracelet is oval in shape and measures 2 ¼ inches across or slightly less than 7 inches around. The locket is 1 ¼ by 1 inches. The band tapers as it moves away from the locket where the locket is the widest part of the bracelet. The narrowest portion of the bracelet measures 3/8 of an inch. The clasp on the bracelet is ‘tongue in groove’ style which locks securely and is released by pressing a button on the side of the bracelet. The bracelet has a safety chain which I believed to be gold-filled.

This locket bracelet is mostly 10k bright yellow gold ( rose gold is ‘bloomed’ to a bright gold using acid ). I tested the bracelet in several places. The bracelet band and the locket appear to be 10k gold. The applied repousse decorations test as 14k gold. Looking at the bottom of the bracelet some rose color gold can be seen. I think it was used to repair the bracelet. The bracelet was strengthen using gold bars under the lip on the band of the bracelet to keep it from bending. There are 2 cracks ( 1 under each of the repousse decorations ) which show where the bracelet was bending. When I bought the bracelet it still had the tendency to bend especially when it was being put on. I further re-enforced the bracelet by adding 2 gold bars ( 1 under the top lip and 1 under the bottom )on one side of the bracelet. None of the repair work can be seen when the bracelet is on. The bracelet is now strong enough to be worn.

Be sure and use the ‘larger picture’ mode option to get a close look at this special bracelet. I try to make the pictures look bigger than life so any problems immediately stand out.

Item ID: 17003