Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry
at the
ANTIQUE CONNECTION MALL
and on the internet since 1996
 12815 Central NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87123  USA
~ Jane Haley Clarke, owner
Copyright 1994-2013 All rights Reserved ©

 


Welcome to the beauty, history and art that is vintage jewelry. We buy and sell vintage rhinestone, costume, designer, bakelite and antique Georgian & Victorian jewelry, purses and accessories.
To be alerted when new items are added, please e-mail jane@morninggloryantiques.com and we will be glad to add you to the contact list.
All jewelry is in excellent vintage condition unless specified otherwise.  All items are subject to prior sale.
We work constantly to offer extensive jewelry research, pictures and information in our references, " Jewel Chat " and " Morning Glory Collects ".
We do not, however, offer identification, valuation or appraisal services. 

TO PURCHASE: You are on a reference page of Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry. These items were photographed from private collections, and are for reference only.
Jewelry that is available TO BUY can be accessed by clicking HERE.

We buy wonderful and unusual jewelry every day, so feel free to e-mail me with photos and prices if you'd like to sell.
© 1994-2013 All Rights Reserved
 

 

Morning Glory Collects... 
 things we love to buy, wear and share

 
VICTORIAN CUT STEEL JEWELRY

 VICTORIAN JEWELRY is as complex in it's symbolism, sentiment and design as the fashion, architecture and decor of the time. Worn as an ornament, a love token or a remembrance, jewelry not only completed the well-dressed lady's costume but also denoted her position in society, her marital status and her sense of self. Since the Victorian era stretched over six decades, many types of jewelry came and went in vogue.

CUT STEEL is polished steel faceted studs riveted to a steel backing to fashion jewelry and ornaments, buttons and chatelaines. Popular from the Georgian through the Victorian eras, cut steel jewelry in the warm glow of candlelight must have been something to behold. Motifs varied from the simple to the sublime, with multiple layers and densely packed studs. Designs could be enhanced by the use of varying sized studs as well. Each stud could have up to 15 facets, and in general the finer and older the piece the more facets the studs will have. Made in both England and Europe, this style of jewelry fell out of favor by the turn of the 19th century, but it never falls out of favor with me.
 

 

  GEORGIAN/EARLY VICTORIAN cut steel bracelet, 7" by 1-1/3".  View   View   View   #V25842

   GEORGIAN/EARLY VICTORIAN cut steel daisy motif set: the necklace is 18" by 1-1/3", the bracelet 7" by 1-1/3", early to mid-1800's. Faceted polished steel studs were riveted to a steel backing to fashion this type of jewelry. This set is particularly pristine and especially brilliant as each tiny stud has 12 facets. See Clifford's Cut-Steel & Berlin Iron Jewellery, plate II (possible attribution to Frichot); Romero's Warman's Jewelry, Ed. 3 page 33; Benette & Mascetti's Understanding Jewellery page 62; Becker's Antique & Twentieth Century Jewelry on page 78, and Bell's Collecting Victorian Jewelry page 41.   View   View   View   View   #V25841

   LACY cut steel necklace with silver chain, cut steel dangles, 15-1/2" by 1". This is an unusual use of cut steel.  View   View   View   View   View   View   #V29871  

 

Woodstock was a small town outside Oxford, England, site of the most famous cut steel workshops circa 1760s.  A jeweler during that time may have been selling cut steel jewelry a price higher than gold. Steel jewellery became fashionable in France and its enormous cost made it popular to the nobility.  Napoleon, on his second marriage to Marie-Louise of Austria commissioned a whole parure of cut steel for his new bride.  By 1775, Mathew Boulton was the most famous steel worker, first in London and then in Birmingham. By the 1790s the industry was producing its finest work although the French Revolution robbed the British workshops of their best customer.  Though many shops in England closed, the French cut steel industry survived to the turn of the 19th century.
GEORGIAN cut steel and artificial half-pearl necklace, circa 1775-1800, 14 facets on each stud, half artificial pearls set in steel, 17-1/2" chain with 2-1/2" front drop. Most studs have 12-15 facets. "Fabulous" is a considerable understatement when describing this necklace and it's condition. See Dawes & Collings "Georgian Jewellery, 1714-1830" page 18; Romero's "Warman's Jewelry, Ed. 3" page 33, and Benjamin's "Antique Jewellery" page 119 for similar pieces View   View   View   View   View   #V31374 Since cut steel will rust if it gets wet or damp and is difficult to polish or clean, much of it has been discarded and a relative few good pieces remain today. I would date the piece at left between 1775-1800 as the individual brads are quite small. In general, the smaller the pieces of cut steel used in the jewelry, the earlier the item was. Later jewelry had larger cut steel brads. VICTORIAN cut steel butterfly necklace, 1-3/4" butterfly on 20" chain. Beautifully design and an unusual motif for cut steel.   View   View   #V32240

 

Close-up of back showing how cut steel brads are riveted and affixed.

 Close-up of cut steel pieces. You can see the multiple facets on each grad.

Close-up of back showing how cut steel brads are riveted and affixed on the top circles of each earring. Note that the bottom circles are pressed, not cut steel..

 

      EARLY VICTORIAN garnet cabochons and cut steel pierced earrings, a very unusual combination, 1-1/8".   View   View   #V31325

   VICTORIAN cut steel brooch with banded agate center, 1-1/2".   View   #V31881 

      VICTORIAN cut steel tops and molded bottoms pierced earrings, 1-1/2".   View   #V26605

 

 

VICTORIAN opalescent bracelet with cut steel accents, adjustable to 6", 6-1/2" and 7", front 1-1/4" back 1/2".   View   View   #V33053

VICTORIAN cut steel and opalescent glass pendant necklace, cut steel brads on gold tone face with cut steel chain, pendant 1-5/8", drop 1", chain 17".   View   View   View   #V35657  

VICTORIAN cut steel and enamel butterfly belt buckle, as is, 3-1/2" by 2".    View   #V61886

 

  VICTORIAN cut steel butterfly belt buckle, 2-1/2". This would have adorned the sash or belt in a beautiful way, delicately and with style.   View   #V33733

VICTORIAN cut steel earrings, 1-7/8". Cut steel is polished steel faceted studs riveted to a steel backing to fashion jewelry and ornaments, buttons and chatelaines. Popular from the Georgian through the Victorian eras, cut steel jewelry in the warm glow of candlelight must have been something to behold as it reflects the light beautifully.   View   #V33940

VICTORIAN cut steel oval pin with 12 to 15 facet brads and older c-catch on the back, 2" by 1-1/2".    View   View   #V65265  

 

VICTORIAN cut steel branch brooch, slightly curved in design, 2-3/4".   View   #V35416

VICTORIAN cut steel bracelet with overlapping closure, safety chain, 6-3/4" wearable size, front width 3-1/8", back 5/16".   View   #V35589

VICTORIAN belt buckle with cut steel buckle set on gold tone, 2-7/8".   View   #V35045

 

 
VICTORIAN cut steel and mother-of-pearl leaves brooch set on gold tone, Victorian c-catch on the back, 3-1/2".   View   #V36086 VICTORIAN cut steel arrow clip with hand cut two prong fastener, 6-1/2" by 1-1/3" at the widest. Because the prongs are fairly wide, this can only be worn on a sweater or cloth with a very open weave. Each prong is 1/8" wide at the top.   View   View   #V36091  

 

VICTORIAN cut steel and mother-of-pearl stylized arrow pin set on gold tone, c-catch closure, 3".  View   #V36082 VICTORIAN cut steel links brooch with later added safety catch and original extra long Victorian pin stem, 3-1/3". This is slightly bowed, perfect for a lapel. Each hand made brad has about 12 facets.   View   #V36083  VICTORIAN cut steel wide brooch with later added safety catch, 4". Slightly bowed so perfect for a lapel.  View   #V36084 

 

VICTORIAN cut steel arrow brooch with faceted black glass and tiny etched leaves end, all set on gold tone, 3-3/4". One tiny brad is missing, so priced as is. Later added c-catch on the back.  View   #V36088 VICTORIAN cut steel and pale yellow glass florets, 3". It has a Victorian c-catch on the back.   View   View   #V36090 VICTORIAN cut steel pin set on gold tone, 4-1/4". This has a Victorian c-catch on the back.   View   #V36085

 

VICTORIAN cut steel three-row bangle 2-5/8" size 8-1/4" at around the inside by 1/4" wide.   View   #V29758 VICTORIAN "MG France" marked cut steel buckle, 2" by 2-5/8".   View   View   #V29768 VICTORIAN cut steel horseshoe pin for good luck, 1-1/8". View #V25994 

 

   VICTORIAN cut steel belt buckle, 1-1/4" by 1-1/4".  View   #V26459e

  This VICTORIAN LADY wears a cut steel clasp at her collar and buttons on her lapel.   View  

  VICTORIAN cut steel clasp. View   View   #V26459c  

 

VICTORIAN cut steel three-row bangle 2-5/8" size 8-1/4" at around the inside by 1/4" wide.   View   #V29758 VICTORIAN "MG France" marked cut steel buckle, circa 1900, 2" by 2-5/8". A similar piece can be seen in Mora's "European Jewelry" on page 18.  View   View   #V29768 VICTORIAN cut steel horseshoe pin for good luck, 1-1/8". View #V25994 

 

   VICTORIAN cut steel shoe buckles x 2, 2-1/4" by 1-1/2" circa 1870.   View   View   View   View    View    #i19839

   VICTORIAN silver tone circa 1900 shoe buckle with pressed detail made to look like cut steel, 3-1/4".  View   View   #i25836

 VICTORIAN CT sterling molded cut steel look belt buckles, 3-1/3" by 1-3/4" total.   View   View   View  #i19840

 

VICTORIAN cut steel small buckles, set of 2.   View   View   #V29735 VICTORIAN cut steel earrings. These may have originally been buttons, as the screw-back fittings would have been added in the first quarter of the 1900s.  View   #V29736 VICTORIAN cut steel horseshoe pierced earrings circa 1890, 1/2".   View   #V29439

 

VICTORIAN cut steel very delicate belt buckle with scrolled design, 2-1/4" by 2".  View   #V26459d

LADIES' belt or sash buckles in florals, cut steel and sterling.
"Steel buckles, diamond cut, bright finish."
A.C. Becken Catalogue, 1902

VICTORIAN cut steel shoe buckle with star and foliate motif.  View   #V26459b

 

VICTORIAN cut steel buckle, rectangular, 2-1/2" by 1-1/2".    View   #Q28183

  VICTORIAN cut steel buckle, tiny rectangle, 1-3/4" by 1".   #Q28184

  VICTORIAN cut steel buckle, unusual triangular, 3-3/4" by 2".    #Q28185

 

VICTORIAN cut steel shoe buckles, set of 2, France, 2-1/2" by 1-5/8" each.    View   #Q28186 VICTORIAN F&N Co (Fishel & Nessler) Evergrip cut steel shoe buckles, set of 2, "patent applied for".    View   View   View   #V34867 VICTORIAN cut steel two-piece buckle with stars, total width 4" by 1-1/2".   View   View   View   #V62870   

 

VICTORIAN cut steel shoe buckle.  View   View   #V26459a VICTORIAN feathery cut steel brooch, a dainty delight, 3".   View   #V64796 VICTORIAN cut steel buckle, 3" by 1-5/8".    View   #Q28182   

 

CHATELAINE top, part of the set #a28587

   SEWING CHATELAINE 3-1/2" belt clip chatelaine of steel and 12-facet cut steel brads holding 11" chains with a 1-1/2" thimble and bucket holder, 1-1/2" wheel type pin cushion, 2-1/8" aide memoir with 2 thick bone pages, 3-1/3" scissors, 2-3/4" tube holding a bone handled 2" punch and 2-5/8" retractable pencil with thick lead, circa 1820. A more sophisticated cut steel chatelaine can be seen in "Jewels & Jewelry" by Clare Phillips on page 65.   View   View   View   View   View   View   View   View    #a28587

CHATELAINE scissors, part of the set #a28587

 

VICTORIAN cut steel chatelaine notebook, part of the set #a29100

VICTORIAN 1800s cut steel sewing chatelaine, 2-5/8" top with 7-1/2" to 10" chains, 1-1/2" pin cushion still with 2 hand-made pins, 2-1/2" pencil, 1-3/4" whistle, 1-5/8" wax, and 1-1/8" glove hook/corkscrew for getting corks out of perfume bottles, 7/8" measuring tape that winds in and a notebook with 2" by 1-1/3" ivory pages, cut steel brads 10-15 facets.   View   View   View   View   View   View   View   View   View   #Q29100

VICTORIAN cut steel chatelaine pin holder, part of the set #a29100

 

   
VICTORIAN  steel sewing chatelaine, 2" horse shoe clip with 16" total length, flip-out glove hook 1-5/8"; thimble bucket 1-1/4"; needle box 2-5/8".   View   View   View   View   #V32611 VICTORIAN chatelaine, cut steel housekeeper's chatelaine with 2" clip; 11" chains faceted cut steel links; 2" leather needle case; 2" horse shoe shaped aide memoire, one end missing; 12" chains with 1-1/3" stamp box; 3-1/2" scissors with illegible mark; 3-1/2" "Thornhill" pencil; 5-1/2" candle scissors; 1" eraser and 3" brass scale.     View   View   View   View   View   View   View   View   View   View   View    #Q32493   VICTORIAN silver and cut steel chatelaine holder, 2-3/4".  View   #V27615 

 

 

REFERENCES:
Georgian Jewellery, 1714-1830 by Dawes & Collings
Victorian Jewelry by Davidov & Dawes
Warman's Jewelry, 3rd Edition by Christie Romero
 Jewels and Jewelry by Clare Phillips and Ian Thomas
 

 

 Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry                 

TO PURCHASE: You are on a reference page of Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry. These items were photographed from private collections, and are for reference only.
Jewelry that is available TO BUY can be accessed by clicking HERE.

 I am interested in buying pieces like this, so please e-mail me if you'd like to sell! 
                       

E-mail me HERE

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PLEASE NOTE: Regretfully, it is no longer possible to respond to individual questions regarding jewelry history, identification or value, or to offer written or verbal appraisals or opinions. The demand for this kind of information is absolutely too overwhelming for one dealer to fill. 
I love jewelry, but appraising and selling are two entirely different businesses, and I choose selling as my business.
Instead, articles are added on a regular basis to JEWEL CHAT on line Magazine, a wonderful reference for  information on many makers and styles of vintage jewelry. 
For information on valuing your jewelry, click HERE.