Hair receiver Archive | Page 2

Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow

September 9, 2023October 13, 2017 by Joden Girl

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and a Mourning Ring

On Sunday morning, October 20th, 1839, John Gwynne bid farewell to his beloved wife of 26 years – Arabella. Sometime thereafter, he had this heartbreakingly beautiful memorial ring made for himself.

Each detail is a tribute to her life beginning with the hard stone cameo center. This small oval black and white agate has been hand-carved with a ceremonial urn sitting beneath a weeping willow – echoing the grief that John must surely have been feeling. The segmented band of the ring bears the words “In Memory Of”… each bright yellow letter a sharp contrast to the matte black enamel background.

Perhaps the most touching aspects of this dedication are on the inside – situated behind the center section is a hair receiver, carefully filled with a lock of braided chestnut colored hair. Engraved in two rows are these words: “In memory of Ararbella Gwynne the beloved wife of John Gwynne, Esq. who died on Sunday morn. Oct 20, 1839. Aged 77”. I can picture his wrinkled and aged hands holding her plait, and tenderly cutting a bit of it to be forever preserved beneath the glass.

This is the only men’s mourning ring I have ever seen. I found it to be terribly romantic, so much so that I was inspired to do a bit of research. After many, many rounds of Google-ing, I was able to locate a trio of books as well as a website or two that list these two Plantagenets….

I uncovered three excerpts of interest (shown here… in the order in which I discovered them).

I was both surprised and delighted to find any bits of information – imagine my excitement when I saw that John Gwynne is a direct descendant of King Edward, III! Royalty, indeed. I was also able to discern that they were married in 1813 – making Arabella a 51 year-old bride. Perhaps it was a second marriage, or perhaps she had waited all those years for true love. They had 26 years together. John passed 13 years after his wife in 1852. The ring is in quite good condition (especially for its age) – however, the enamel is chipped along the back side of the ring. I like to think its because it was worn… every day. And that it brought John comfort to know that part of Arabella was still with him while part of her was waiting… beneath the weeping willow.

“Oh bury me under the weeping willow

Yes, under the weeping willow tree

So he may know where I am sleeping

And perhaps he will weep for me.”

lyrics credited to The Carter Family

I hope you’ve enjoyed the story of John and Ararbella Gwynne as much as I enjoyed discovering it. Come to Joden to see this rare royal treasure for yourself, and click on the newsletter link below to have Joden Girl delivered straight to your inbox.

“Go to our site and look, then come to Joden and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco and Carrie Martin

More than Black and White

September 9, 2023September 17, 2017 by Joden Girl

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Enameled Things

Imagine, if you can, what you will look like when you’re 200 years old… Will you be dust and ashes, scattered to the wind? Or perhaps there’ll be nothing left but a hollow shape, a shell of your former self. In any case, it’s certain that you won’t look as good as this stunning Swiss Enamel bangle pictured above.

Admit it, no matter how many trips to the gym you make, or how well you take care of yourself – as the years pass, time takes a toll. Nothing could be farther from the truth in regard to this bracelet. It’s in near perfect condition… almost identical to the day it was made, nearly two centuries ago.

The center section, a scalloped oval of buttery yellow gold was hand crafted in classic repousse style (a technique in which metal is hammered from behind in order to create shape and form). Then this remarkably lightweight shell was painstakingly enameled from edge to edge in black and white patterns of flowers, leaves, and scrolls. It’s a rare and beautiful thing, and in infinitely better condition than I will be in 150 years!

Here are two more examples of Swiss Enamel jewelry. The brooch and earring suite is a more typical subject matter for the early 19th century. Often, these elaborate enamel plaques featured grand landscapes paired with peasants garbed in regional attire. More often than not, these scenic examples were sold as souvineers to wealthy travelers. Rich black and white enamel patterns create a framework for these lovely maidens.

If you look closely at the bottom of the earrings in the second photo, you’ll notice a quite remarkable thing. Each one is accentuated by a tiny oval hair receiver. These are a first for me – I’ve never seen an earring with a hair locket! Even more unusual is that it’s on the front of the earring rather than the back. It’s interesting to note that both pairs of earrings shown above are referred to as “day to night” earrings – meaning that the bottom section is removable. You can wear the tops alone for a casual daytime look or add the dramatic bottom portion for more formal evening attire.

Last but not least is this stunning polychromatic enameled link bracelet. It features a rare combination of champlevé and basse-taille enamel. These two old world techniques combine in an explosion of multicolored design. From the alternating black and white floral links to the bright orange, red, green, and blue enameled plaques between… it’s a veritable feast for the eyes. These are true treasures; too good to miss. And as always, you can go to a museum and look or you can come to us and touch.

Click on the newsletter link below and have Joden Girl delivered right to your inbox!

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco

Windows to the Soul

September 9, 2023September 8, 2017 by Joden Girl

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Lover’s Things

Called a lover’s eye, or an eye miniature, these are some of the rarest and highly collectible pieces of antique jewelry. Just as their name states, they are tiny watercolor paintings (most often done on ivory) of an eye… and nothing else. The painting is usually surrounded by a decorative frame and covered with a piece of protective glass. You may be wondering, “Why just an eye?”

Sources say that the eye belonged to a loved one, usually a forbidden love. It was believed that if the painting only featured an eye, it would be nearly impossible to identify who is depicted. Because in the case of a clandestine affair, anonymity is everything. Only the person wearing the piece would know the secret identity. Very romantic…

Most lover’s eyes were made from the late 1700’s to the early 1800’s. Experts believe that fewer than 1000 of them are still in existence. Here at Joden, we have three. The one pictured above has already been purchased by a private collector, these two are available now.

Near the end of the 1800’s, Queen Victoria revived the lover’s eye. However, Victoria had them created of all of her loved ones: her children, family, and friends. Often, they became mourning jewelry, as many of them featured a hair receiver on the back. The use of pearls often symbolized tears. What a beautiful treasure!

Come to Joden to see these incredible love tokens, and remember…

“You can go to a museum and look, or you can come to Joden and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco

Baubles, Bling, and a Mourning Ring

Baubles, Bling, and Enameled Things

Baubles, Bling, and Lover’s Things

joden_jewelers