Antique French Banded Agate Amphora Earrings Circa 1870
A charming pair of late Victorian earrings manufactured in France circa 1870’s.
Each earring is designed in ‘Amphora’ drop style of wonderfully matched banded Agate, with typical concentric swirls of various shaded of orange, cream and white.
Dropping from the ear approximately 3.7cm, one is slightly shorter at 3.5cm .. lets remember these are hand crafted in France around 150 years ago.. and fitted with simple shepherd hook fittings which may or may not be original, but suit perfectly.
Banded agate is believed to bring peace and calm to the wearer, but even if they don’t, these early divine earrings will at least look fabulous on!
STONES
Banded Agate
MEASUREMENTS
Drop from ear 3.7cm and 3.5cm - subtle 2mm difference in drop
WEIGHT
3.01 Grams
MARKS
Tiny Bigorne* marks to each top loop, too small to photograph
Testing as not gold, quite common in early earrings such as these
CONDITION
Very very good antique condition. Ear wires are early but may or may not be original to the Agate drops, they are firm and straight. Agate drops are lovely, silky smooth with no chips or abrasions.
WHAT ARE BIGORNE MARKS
Bigorne is a two-horned (or beaked) anvil with both a flat and a rounded striking area. These anvils are used when placing hallmarks and assay marks on metal. From 1818 to 1984, the French instituted a system whereby they engraved their anvils with insects. In the case of the small anvil used to mark jewelry, they were incised in a zigzag pattern depicting rows of insects.
This specially engraved bigorne anvil was then used in a system devised to countermark hallmarks. The piece to be hallmarked was placed in position on the anvil and, when the punch was hit with the hammer to create the hallmark, the reverse (or anvil side) was impressed with the specially engraved bigorne pattern.
This system was devised as a security precaution against counterfeit or transposed hallmarks. These marks can be very difficult to discern because of the intricate nature of the insect renderings.
Reference: Lang Antique University
Laybys & Hold Policy
Do you have your eye on a fabulous piece but need some extra time to
pay? At Graisons, we offer suitable layby terms for pieces priced $400 AUD and above. Contact us for more details.
Purchase Guide & Refund Policy
For information regarding our Purchase Guide & Returns Policy, please click here
Shipping & Delivery
Free Complimentary Express Shipping: Australia & Select International Countries.
We are pleased to offer free complimentary express postage, fully insured with tracking and signature on delivery using Australia Post.
For all international purchases, a third party postal company will complete the final stage of delivery.
Orders are dispatched within one-two business days of purchase. Once complete, a tracking number will be forwarded to you via email notification.
We are currently shipping to the following international countries:
UK, USA, CANADA, SINGAPORE, NEW ZEALAND, HONG KONG.
PLEASE NOTE: Any duties imposed by countries for importing our items are the buyers responsibility. Please contact your local customs agency if you wish to discuss potential rates and fees.
Caring For Antique & Vintage Jewellery
We absolutely pride ourselves on sourcing the best quality pieces for our customers, with many of our items valued by our registered jeweller/gemologist.
Our collection consists of pieces that are of antique and vintage condition, which means that all our items are secondhand and used. Customers are not purchasing 'new', 'perfect' and 'unworn items', and as such, should expect wear and imperfection. Any condition issues are always extensively mentioned in the condition summary.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions prior to purchase. It is the responsibility of the purchaser to ensure that these descriptions and pictures are carefully viewed and any questions are asked prior to the transaction taking place.
Please refer to our guide, Caring For Antique & Vintage Jewellery for more details.
Your Purchase: What Is Included?
Your purchase will be lovingly packaged in our custom made, eco-friendly Graisons Fine Jewellery Jewel box tied with ribbon inside our custom made packaging/mailing box.
For added safety and security, all purchases are shipped inside an Australia Post medium sized mailing box.
If your item includes an independent valuation, the physical certificate will be included.
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