Gold Guilloché Enamel Locket Pendant
France, late 19th century
18K Gold, Blue Guilloché Enamel
This finely crafted gold locket pendant exemplifies late-19th-century decorative refinement through its use of luminous blue guilloché enamel and sculptural goldwork. The front is centered with a circular panel of deep cobalt enamel worked in a radiating wave pattern, a hallmark of engine-turned guilloché technique. At its center, a delicate applied gold starburst motif adds symbolic and visual focus, evoking celestial imagery associated with guidance, protection, and constancy. Surrounding the enamel panel is an ornate gold frame enriched with repoussé floral and foliate motifs, lending the piece a richly architectural presence. The pendant opens on a discreet hinge to reveal a double compartment locket interior, originally intended to hold portrait miniatures, hairwork, or devotional keepsakes—transforming the jewel into an intimate personal reliquary.
The reverse is finished in softly brushed gold, intentionally understated, emphasizing the contrast between exterior ornament and private interior meaning. The circular form reinforces themes of eternity and continuity, while the blue enamel—long associated with fidelity, wisdom, and spirituality—elevates the pendant beyond adornment into the realm of symbolic object. This locket reflects the Victorian period fascination with sentiment, craftsmanship, and layered meaning, standing today as both a work of decorative art and a deeply personal artifact of 19th-century life.
Purchased at Auction in La Colle-sur-Loup Côte d'Azur, France. Photo locket charms carry deep emotional and cultural significance.
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