Morning Glory Collects

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

~ Mosaic Jewelry ~

There are two kinds of inlay techniques which have been practiced in Italy for centuries, created in two different cities with two different matières:

Pietra dura, in Italian, means "hard stones", so the inlays of portraits, flowers, insects, or landscapes originally created in Florence, were conceived with thin slices of semi-precious malachite, lapis, aventurine, or lapis- so closely fit together that the edges are flush and indiscernible. See European Designer Jewelry (chapter on Italian jewelry) or Warman's Jewelry for examples and more information.

Intarsia is mosaic work inlaid with glass tesserae, minuscule glass cubes, which imitate in miniature the glorious Byzantine mosaics of the Basilicas of Ravenna and Venice, Italy. Roman artists were known in the 19th century for working with the glass smalti from Murano, producing jewelry which targeted the tourist trade. The smaller the elements, and the more shadings represented, the finer the portraits. As the technique coarsened in the 20th century, the holes between the tesserae were filled with wax to level out the surface. This wax application was omitted altogether, saving time, (and lowering quality) for the mass-production tourist trade.

This information is courtesy of Ginger Moro, author of the book European Designer Jewelry.

     VICTORIAN 18k yellow gold mosaic doves ring, 3/4" front, size 7.    View    #V27582

    VICTORIAN lady wearing a mosaic pendant on a black velvet ribbon.

MOSAIC Noah's dove brooch set in 14k gold. View   #V23962

VICTORIAN lady wearing a pietra dura pendant on a black velvet ribbon. Carte de viste marked "Lewis, Prize Medals, Isle of Man". VICTORIAN pietra dura lilies and forget-me-nots brooch set in 18k yellow gold frame, 1-1/3". View #V28338 VICTORIAN lady wearing a pietra dura brooch. Carte de viste marked on the back "C. G. Carleton, Photographer, Main Street, Waterville, Maine".

PIETRA DURA floral brooch of roses, lily-of-the-valley and forget-me-nots, circa 1910. #Vagns

VICTORIAN pietra dura bar brooch with pink morning glory and blue forget-me-nots, 1-1/3" by 1/2". View #V29819

VICTORIAN pietra dura floral 1" pendant on gold chain. View #V25961

VICTORIAN pietra dura oval brooch in 10k setting, white roses, lily-of-the-valley, daisy and blue forget-me-nots with green leaves make up the bouquet, circa 1890, 1-5/8" by 2". View   View   #V32434

VICTORIAN carte de visite of lady wearing a lovely pietra dura brooch, marked in pencil on the back, "Jane Manely, niece of   ", photographer "W.W. Winter, Midland Road, Derby, Patronized by Her Majesty The Queen".   View   View

VICTORIAN pietra dura white and pale pink morning glories bar pin with green leaves, simple but lovely setting circa 1890, 2-1/2" by 7/8". View   #V32598

VICTORIAN pietra dura set in jet brooch with white rose, daisy and buds and green leaves, 2-1/8" by 1-3/4" . View   #V32743

VICTORIAN pietra dura box, 6" by 3-7/8" by 2-1/4". View   View   View   View   View   #V32742

VICTORIAN jet and pietra dura brooch, 1-1/2" by 1-/78".   View   #V33507

VRBA scenic Victorian Italian mosaic in a Haskell style bar brooch with fleur-de-lis, unsigned because Larry Vrba did this as a favor for me years ago. I had the unset Victorian mosaic and he fashioned this wonderful brooch so I that could wear it. The mosaic is Victorian and the setting is artificial seed pearls wired to two gold tone fleur-de-lis. View   View   #K11019

VICTORIAN scenic mosaic links bracelet set in gold tone, 6-1/2" wearable size with each oval 1" by 5/8". Each link has a different Italian scene created with tiny multi-colored tessera and each is a work of art. Not a single tessera is missing and the designs are all lovely scenes with nice color graduations. In all probability this would have been a souvenir of a grand Victorian era European tour.   View   View   View #V33684

VICTORIAN St Mark mosaic brooch in gold aventurine, 1-1/2".    View   #V34681

VICTORIAN 9 carat yellow gold mosaic earrings with dangles, 2-7/8". The mosaics are set into a 9 carat gold frame and then polished to give them a glass-smooth finish that is lovely and very high quality, circa 1900. View   View   #V34735

ITALIAN MOSAIC floral 1" round pin in soft pastel colors circa 1900.   View   #Y18684

  VICTORIAN micro mosaic set in aventurine heart pendant with the winged lion, symbol of St Mark, circa 1860, heart is 1-1/4". View   View   #V29902

MOSAIC floral 1" round pin in soft pastel colors circa 1900.   View   #V24459

VICTORIAN Made in Italy mosaic pin circa 1900, 1". View   #V29564

MOSAIC 1-1/4" pendant on an 18" chain, circa 1900.   View #Y21595

    MOSAIC brooch marked on the back "Italy", 5/8". View   #Y27301

       MOSAIC 1" round brightly colored pin, circa 1950.   View #Y15030
MOSAIC Made in Italy mosaic bar pin with black border, 1-1/2". View   #V25907

     MOSAIC 1-1/2" brooch. View   #Y23962

MADE in ITALY aqua mosaic necklace with lovely little roses and daisies, a tour de force in lovely colors, 17" by 5/8". View   View   #V34991



VICTORIAN pietra dura of a white tulip pin surrounded by black glass seed beads, 1-1/2".   View   #V30052

MOSAIC necklace with pendant, marked "Made in Italy", 19-1/2" long with 2-1/2" front drop. This is a very unusual necklace with lots of color and design decorated links, circa 1920. View   View   #Q61691

   VICTORIAN mosaic brooch in gold filled setting with extra long older style pin stem circa 1880, 1-1/4" by 1". The mosaic represents two roses, one pink and one red. View   #V33610

MOSAIC earrings with red, blue, gray and white tessera set in gold tone circa 1950, 3/4". View   #Y61603

MOSAIC cross pendant with orange, yellow, blue and white tessera set in gold tone, 1-7/8" pendant on 16" gold filled chain. View   #Y61599

    MOSAIC earrings with cloud background with red roses, blue forget-me-nots set in gold tone, circa 1950, 7/8". View   #Y61604

MOSAIC diamond shaped brooch, yellow, green, white and red tessera set in gold tone, 1-7/8". View   #Y61600

MOSAIC early 1900s oval brooch with blue, aqua, red, lavender, green and white tessera set in brass, marked "Italy" on the back, 1-1/2". View   #Y61601

    MOSAIC brooch, black background with yellow and white flowers and green leaves set in silver tone, marked "Italy" on the back, 1-5/8". View   #Y61598

SCHREINER green and white mosaic center 2-1/4" pin and 1-1/8" earrings. View View #S23505

DENICOLA mosaic and tiger stripe brooch. View #X23991

MOSAIC oval pin, blue grey with red and yellow flowers, circa 1955, 1-1/8". View #Y61941

MOSAIC real mosaic made in Italy brooch and earrings, blue forget-me-nots on a orange background, brooch 1-1/2" earrings 1". View #Y63445 MOSAIC brooch in green with colorful roses and forget-me-nots, on original card, brooch 1-3/4" by 1-1/3". #Q63729 MOSAIC real mosaic made in Italy brooch and earrings, flower bouquets on a blue background, brooch 1-1/4" earrings 1". View #Y63446