Uplifting French 18K Gold Charm of Birds in Flight

Pendant with Paired Birds in Circular Frame
Europe, mid-20th century
18K Gold

This elegant circular pendant features a pair of birds in flight, rendered in relief and enclosed within a delicately twisted gold hoop. The composition presents the birds aligned in parallel motion, wings extended, suggesting harmony, companionship, and shared direction. Such paired avian imagery has long been associated in European decorative arts with love, fidelity, and enduring partnership.

The circular frame—symbolic of unity, eternity, and continuity—reinforces the pendant’s meaning as a talisman of connection. The subtle rope-twist detailing of the border adds texture and visual rhythm, while the birds themselves are finely modeled, with carefully articulated wings and bodies that convey movement despite the pendant’s compact scale.

The reverse reveals a simplified silhouette of the birds, emphasizing the pendant’s sculptural integrity and confirming its careful construction. Designed to be worn close to the body, this jewel would have served as a personal emblem rather than a purely ornamental piece, its symbolism quietly communicated through form rather than overt decoration.

Today, the pendant stands as a refined example of symbolic gold jewelry—where minimal materials, balanced composition, and timeless imagery combine to create a piece of lasting emotional resonance.

Purchased at auction in Bordeaux, France