Victorian Era Curb Bracelets History And Catalogue Images
A superb cased hallmarked Victorian 9ct rose gold curb bracelet with a beautifully engraved heart padlock clasp and alternating links. This magnificent solid gold Victorian antique bracelet is steeped in symbolism. The original safety chain and heart padlock are in place, they symbolise love and commitment. No key is needed to unlock the heart clasp, which works perfectly.
The outer edge of the padlock is adorned with acanthus leaves. These represent the desire for longevity.
A single ivy leaf is placed just above and below the keyhole. Ivy leaves convey feelings of love & deep friendship and have many other positive meanings.
The keyhole represents security and the home. The heart symbolises love, compassion, joy & charity.
As you would expect each curb is stamped 9c. Due to its great age some of these hallmarks are worn.
The heart padlock is also hallmarked with the maker’s mark and gold purity (9ct) hallmark.
The maker’s mark is difficult to attribute. At first glance it appears similar to that of Sheldon Brothers. However, we would expect to see more of a contour around the letter S as shown below and also the letters in Sheldon Brothers hallmark shown below have serifed letters.
The elegant lines at the edges of the letters convey what is meant by the word serifed.
The more ornate links were often described as bright chased.
ERA:
Victorian
MATERIALS:
Rose Gold.
HALLMARKS:
Each curb is stamped 9 c. The heart clasp is stamped with the maker's mark S.BROS and also 9 CT.
VIEW THIS VICTORIAN SOLID GOLD CURB BRACELET
The most gorgeous antique Victorian rose gold curb bracelet with the traditional heart clasp. Victorian jewellery is steeped in symbolism. The original safety chain and heart padlock are in place, they symbolise love and commitment. These bracelets are gifted as the most romantic of love tokens. This splendid rose gold bracelet has the most enchanting hue that is only seen on antique gold. The images do not do this piece justice. The heart padlock is hallmarked as is each curb link.
HM Queen Victoria was a trend setter. Whatever she wore, whether it be clothing or jewellery, the ladies of the Royal Court copied, as did many noble ladies and the wealthy women of the United Kingdom.
A gold charm bracelet with sixteen various oval and heart shaped lockets, enamelled in black on gold. Some set with jewels, others engraved, several with inscriptions. Miniature photograph of male head.
The gold enamel & diamond curb charm bracelet was worn constantly by HM Queen Victoria.
The following pages of Victorian advertisements show the wide variety of curb bracelets available for purchase during the long reign of this monarch.
The company known as J.W. Benson Ltd. was highly regarded. They traded between 1847 - 1973. The standing of this firm can be measured by the fact that The Crown Jewellers, Garrard, bought the firm in 1973.
The Benson family had been watchmakers since 1749. In 1847 James William Benson & his cousin Samuel Suckley Benson founded S.S. & J.W. Benson. In 1855 the partnership was dissolved & J W Benson continued the business under the name of “J W Benson.” In October 1878 he died aged 52 & his sons, James, Alfred & Arthur took over the running of the business.
Throughout its history J.W. Benson Ltd was the official watchmaker to the War Department & the Admiralty.
In 1893 one of their most well known taglines read as follows:
During this time the most inventive jewellery would be described as novelties.
This jeweller jealously guarded their patented designs and so advertising literature would have this warning displayed prominently.
One J W Benson patented design was for a curb bracelet described by the maker as:
This bracelet was available in gold or gold and platinum.
The highly regarded firm known as the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company would go on to be amalgamated into Asprey Garrard Ltd. (The Crown Jewellers from 1843 - 2007).
The next two images depict some of their curb bracelet designs.
The curb bracelet depicted above was described as:
Fine Gold and Pearl Bracelet £3 10s.
The letter s after the figure 10 refers to shillings. This is old English money. After decimalisation in 1966 shillings continued to be legal tender with a value of 5 new pence until 31 December 1990.
This curb bracelet is fitted with two hearts entwined which denotes the sentiment “Forever in my heart”.
The entwined hearts are set with seed pearls.
This company also allowed customers to add gems of their choice:
Unmounted Gems may be Selected and Mounted to Purchasers’ own Designs
Some antique padlock heart curb bracelets did have ornate keys which were used to lock the bracelets.
Curb bracelets were also popular in America during this era.
The next few images show extracts from an American wholesale catalogue yellowed with age.
If you are viewing this blog with a mobile 'phone you will be able to magnify the catalogue images and text so that they will be large enough to read.
None of these curb bracelets have safety chains because they were locked by a key.
Bottom middle depicts a child’s bracelet.
This solid gold child’s bracelet was the type of gift often given to female children as a christening present in both the United States & the United Kingdom.
Some of the curb bracelets in the wholesale catalogue are described as Gold Stiffened.
This is another term for gold filled.
Gold filled:
This method involves two layers of gold sheet being fused onto a sheet of base metal. Usually this process involves more gold than gold-cased or rolled gold items.
Gold-filled is the term used when there is a heavier coating of gold than rolled gold.
The plate of gold is soldered or welded onto metal.
To qualify for the term gold-filled the item must have plating which is at least 1/20th of the weight of the metal that has been coated.
Click here for more information about gold.
This illustration shows how no key was supplied/made for the many of the curb bracelets which were fitted with safety chains.
Here we see the safety chain is attached to the bottom of the padlock clasp and then to a link which was soldered onto the curb link.
In the UK there was a preference for the safety chain to be attached to two of the curb links on either side of the heart padlock clasp and the clasp itself.
More fully hallmarked antique gold jewellery.
Please note that although we spend many hours each week updating or compiling new work for our historical blog section which is free to view, we do not offer an appraisal, identification, valuation or dating service to members of the public.
However, each purchase from our store is shipped with a lavishly illustrated history which dates the item and details the history of the item and that of the maker.
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