Antique Vintage Deco Sterling Silver English Grand Tour Souvenir Charm Bracelet

Age Circa: Art Deco C. Markings: The bracelet is marked on the clasp jump ring with RB Ltd, the Birmingham anchor, and the r date assay mark, denoting manufacture in 1916. One of the bracelet links is marked with the sterling silver lion passant. Country of Origin: Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. Gram Weight: 90.5 Grams. 925 Sterling Silver link bracelet, the charms are made of varying purities of silver, including. 925 Sterling Silver and. Material: Paste, Aurora Borealis Glass, Paper. Main Stone Carat Weight/Color: 1.5 mm in diameter, deep red. Accent Stone: Citrine Paste. Accent Stone Carat Weight/Color: 0.4″ long by 0.6″ wide, translucent sunshine yellow. The garnet stones appear to be untreated, but we are not certified gemologists and cannot be sure. Citrine paste is man made. Stone Cuts: Round faceted garnets, faceted bead citrine paste. Item Measurements: The bracelet has a wearable length of 7″, and is 0.2″ wide. The charms range in size, with the smallest one at 0.5″ long and the largest at 1″ long. Closure/Clasp Type: Heart Padlock. Link Type: Curb Chain. Notable Features: This lovely sterling silver charm bracelet was handmade in Birmingham, England during the Art Deco period by a talented RB Ltd silversmith. The bracelet itself was made in 1916, and consists of thick, sterling silver curb links. It has a charming padlock heart clasp, that attaches to a removable safety chain, and closes the bracelet at the two jump rings at each end. What makes this bracelet truly remarkable is the twenty charms that hang from it. The link bracelet may have been made in England, but all of the charms are from different countries; this one-of-a-kind piece is a souvenir bracelet! A British Grand Tour traveler spent many years exploring the world and collecting charms to put on this fascinating bracelet. There is a beautiful African lion figurine that sits above a sparkling golden yellow citrine paste bead, Spanish salsa dancers, and enameled map of one of the Canary Islands, a tiny bible that is delicately chased with scrolling patterns, which opens to reveal The Lord’s Prayer written in tiny letters on actual paper! There is a heart locket that swivels open, an articulated German beer stein, an Arabic oil lamp, a tiny teapot made out of a gorgeously faceted Aurora Borealis glass bead and filigree swirls, and a tiny Scotty dog with red garnet eyes. There is a whole three pence coin, dated 1933 with oak leaves and acorns, and King George IV, as well as a religious medallion coin, featuring Jesus with a radiating Sacred Heart. There are twenty charms in total, indicating a well-traveled person spent many years collecting and assembling this amazing bracelet. Truly unique, you’ll find a new surprise every time you wear it! Damage: Age appropriate wear. This listing is for the item only. This beautiful piece comes from the Art Deco Era! The Art Deco Era is famous for being the “Gatsby” or “Roaring Twenties” Era. A lot of gorgeous and timeless designs in jewelry came out of this period. During the Art Deco Period jewelers often made jewelry upon custom order, this would often take weeks to months to completely craft by hand. The Grand Tour was the standard European vacation of the Georgian and Victorian eras. The opportunity it gave for studying culture, architecture and art made it a tradition, especially for the upper classes. And what better souvenir of this long trip than pieces of native souvenir jewelry such as Italian cameos, mosaic and pietra dura pieces. Pieces often also had historical inspirations from the remnants of Pompeii to the pyramids of Egypt, cultural learning was a focal point of the grand tour, the process of remembrance spilled over into jewelry souvenirs. 800 silver, also called Coin Silver, is made out of silver coins used in European countries pre-1940. During this time period, it was easier for jeweler and silversmiths to use coins that were already guaranteed at a certain purity, than using another form of silver and having to guess at the purity level. Whole coin jewelry has been in existence since coins were invented as a form of national currency. Many cultures from around the world would make coin jewelry as a means to store or display wealth. Coins also served as a souvenir for travelers to bring home after their excursions, and have made into wearable mementos of their trips, or as symbols of national pride. The Sacred Heart symbolizes others devotion for Christs undying love. It is a Christian Symbol which depicts a flaming heart pierced by a wound encircled by a crown of thorns and surmounted by a cross. The wounds and thorns represent the way in which Jesus died, and the fire represents divine love. It is said that St. Lutgarde, a mystic of Aywieres, Belgium, was an early precursor to its symbolism. Articulated pieces of jewelry usually include two or more pieces connected by a flexible joint. This allows for the movement of pieces, especially in animal figures. The chasing technique is a very difficult silversmith process when the artist uses a nail-like tool and hammer to hand etch patterns within the metal work. This process was very difficult and only the best jewelers were trained in the process. Filigree metal working has been around for thousands of years, however was perfected by the Phoenicians and Etruscan civilizations. It involves stamping out a design in your metal and hand bending and twirling until your design in formed, it is considered one of the most difficult metal working processes. In 1724, French jewel designer Georges Frédéric Strass came up with paste, a kind of leaded glass that he cut and polished with metal powder until it appeared to shimmer like a diamond in the light. These white diamante or strass were a hit with glamorous Parisian high society. The Method of Enameling originally dates all the way back to the Ancient Egyptians. The Ancient Greeks, Celts, Georgians, and Chinese all followed suite. The technique involves fusing powdered glass to a substrate, or base, by firing. In jewelry, the base is generally a metal. Enamel is made of colored powdered glass, or may include clear powdered glass that is mixed with colorful metallic pigments. It is primarily used on decorative art or jewelry, usually small in size. Besides jewelry, enamel can also be applied to glass, ceramic, stone, and various other materials. Full of fire and light, Aurora Borealis glass rhinestones and beads were a favorite of vintage jewelry makers. In the early to mid 1950s, the Swarovksi Company began experimenting with coatings to make crystals more radiant. The process was meant to simulate the effect of the Northern Lights, the celestial Aurora Borealis. By 1955, the process was perfected by Swarovski, who worked closely with Christian Dior to design jewelry with these stones. The technique was to coat the lower facets of each stone with a micro-thin blue metallic sheet to give the stone a shimmering rainbow-like color effect. Over the years more variations in the coating color were perfected, and the stones now have a wide variety of hues available. PLEASE WAIT FOR AN UPDATED INVOICE BEFORE PAYING FOR YOUR ITEMS. Thank you for your cooperation. The item “Antique Vintage Deco Sterling Silver English Grand Tour Souvenir Charm Bracelet” is in sale since Sunday, December 31, 2017. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewelry\Fine\Art Nouveau/Art Deco 1895-1935\Bracelets”. The seller is “abeautifultimeco” and is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Style: Charm
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom
• Metal: Sterling Silver
• Metal Purity: .925
• Clasp Type: Heart Padlock
• Main Stone: Garnet
• Brand: RB Ltd
• Material: Glass