Albert watch chains were very popular in the 19th century; Queen Victoria’s husband was particularly keen on them - hence the name. They had a bar on one end (which attached the chain to a vest buttonhole) with a swivel dog clip clasp (attached to the watch) on the other end. The chain would have been worn exposed and often had a decorative fob (to add weight to the chain itself, making it easier to pull the watch from a vest pocket). The type of chain links varied in style (curb, belcher, rope, fancy, engraved, etc). Nowadays, it's become super popular to repurpose Albert chains as necklaces (if you're lucky enough to find one that's long enough). Here is a twisted rope chain (rope chain is comprised of two twisting spiraled strands, created by many unjoined links to form a woven appearance) from the Victorian era. It has both the T bar and a functioning dog clip which is just waiting for you to add a charm to it! The length is perfect to be worn as a necklace. It makes for a very fashionable antique piece and versatile addition to any neck stack. The dog clip is stamped 10k and is not original to the chain. Shows patina and wear consistent with age. *********** In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Ariel Gordon Jewelry, we’re so proud to introduce Heritage by Ariel Gordon, a collection of vintage and estate jewelry curated by Ariel to bring new life to these treasured pieces. “It felt inspiring and motivating to me to stop for a moment and reflect on all the different reasons that people have worn jewelry throughout the years - the heritage of the industry that I'm a part of. I get a lot of satisfaction thinking about the sustainable life cycle of jewelry and that I'm bringing new life to old pieces. I design my own collection to live forever and be heirlooms so it's so exciting that I'm getting to honor these pieces in the same way. It's a fantasy of mine that 100 years from now, someone will discover one of my pieces, and it would have the same special meaning to them—with the stories and memories it's collected over the years.” To curate this assortment, Ariel scoured trade shows, flea markets, private collections, and beyond to find authentic, one of a kind jewelry. Every piece in the collection was purchased by Gordon in person so she could fully vet the quality and authenticity. |