Antique and collectible history

Hilliard & Thomason Silversmiths History And Heritage

John Hilliard (1816 - 1871) established his business in 1837 in Birmingham, England. Three years later John Thomason Jr. (1811- 1892) joined the firm & they began to trade as Hilliard & Thomason. John Hilliard's father was James Hilliard, who was a lifelong silversmith. Hilliard & Thomason were known for making small silver items such as snuff boxes, wine labels, vinaigrettes and exquisite mother of pearl inlaid knives. Hilliard & Thomason nutmeg graters are especially sought-after today.

S Blanckensee & Son Ltd. Jewellers & Silversmiths

Solomon Blanckensee was born in 1801 in Filehne, Wielen, Czarnków-Trzcianka County, Poland. His father was Levin Blanckensee & his mother Julia Joseph. He had three brothers, Issac, Myer & Moses. By the time of his death in 1864 he was a highly successful jeweller. He died in the county of Warwickshire, Great Britain.
In 1826, Solomon Blanckensee founded a jewellery concern based in Bristol, England. The business proved to be highly successful and as time went by it acquired a number of other prominent jewellery firms. The size of the business and quality of the products meant that it had few others considered to be its equals.

Guilloche Engraving & Silver Guilloche Enamel Powder Compacts

The first skilled artisans said to have decorated fine jewellery with guilloche enamel were working in the mid 18th century. The methods and tools that were used have changed very little over the centuries. The patterns favoured then were still being reproduced in the 1950s. Guilloche is a decorative technique in which artisans use lathes, often referred to as rose engines. These machines have been in existence for hundreds of years and even those used by jewellers in the twenty first century were made as long ago as the middle of the nineteenth century.

S J Rose & Sons Ltd History And Heritage

The photograph above shows the magnificent facade of the premises occupied by the esteemed gold and silversmith S J Rose. The huge windows were essential to allow the maximum natural light into the building. The craftsmen would have been seated at work benches close to the windows, so that their exquisite creations could be crafted with as much attention to detail as possible.

Georg Adam Scheid History And Heritage

Georg Adam Scheid was born on July 28 1838 in Schönau Baden, Germany. When he was sixteen years old he began an apprenticeship. During this time he worked in both Pforzheim and Stuttgart. Pforzheim is famous as a center of jewellery making - so much so that it was known colloquially as Goldstadt (Golden City).

A. S. Brown & Co. Manufacturing Ltd. And Mascot Powder Compacts History & Heritage

The Mascot brand was owned by the London based company A.S. Brown & Co. (Manufacturing) Ltd. of 79-83 Coborn Road, Bow, London, E3. Following the end of WWII the company switched from producing aircraft components to making powder compacts and fancy goods (such as dressing table sets). A.S. Brown signed its compacts in a variety of ways, for example, 'ASB', 'ASB Mascot', ‘Mascot’, and sometimes solely with a crown and even a blank oblong cartouche without the accompanying brand name.

J Gloster Silversmith History Heritage And Patents

The silversmiths J. Gloster Ltd were highly regarded for both their sterling silver & silver plated items from the Victorian era until the 1960s. Their premises was situated at Lion Silver Works, Hockley Hill in Birmingham, England. In 1914 their employees numbered a hundred.

The History of Lockets, Queen Elizabeth I Locket Ring And Queen Victoria's Lockets

This post answers these questions:

1. What is the history of the locket?

2. Why lockets are named lockets?

3. What do the symbols on a locket mean?

4. What is the difference between a locket and a pendant?

5. How can you tell if a locket is antique?

6. What is the Chequers Ring?

What is Etruscan Revival Jewellery? Who Were the Etruscans?

This post will answer these questions:

1. Who were the Etruscans?

2. Where and when did the Etruscans live?

3. How did the Etruscans live?

4. Which came first the Etruscan or Roman civilisations?

5. What is Etruscan Revival jewellery?

6. Why were the Victorians so fascinated by the Etruscans?

Solid Gold Fully Hallmarked Antique Locket

Differences Between Solid Gold, Gold Front & Back, Rolled Gold & Plate

What are the differences between solid gold, gold front & back, gold plated, gold filled, rolled gold, gold cased, vermeil and pinchbeck?

What do the terms ormolu, parcel-gilt, bronze dore, mercury gilding, fire gilding, gold wash & fool's gold mean?

When and why was a British system of hallmarking established?

This post will answer all of these questions.

Turner & Simpson Sterling Silver Guilloche Enamel Compact Mirror

Turner & Simpson Ltd A Brief History

Turner & Simpson were well known as makers of fine silverware, vanities, cigarette cases, snuff boxes, clocks and curios. Although the premises was purely industrial and set within the heart of Birmingham's jewellery quarter it did have the appearance of a rather large cottage.

All About Antique Music Boxes, Musical Powder Boxes & Reuge Music Boxes

As antique and vintage music boxes are very popular and becoming increasingly collectable we wanted to create this guide detailing some of the most popular music boxes you're likely to encounter.

In this post we'll also aim to provide useful information about their origins and how to keep them playing well.

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Antique and collectible history