Victorian Etruscan Revival Amethyst Locket, Earrings & Chain Suite

Dating to circa 1880, this Victorian Etruscan Revival jewelry suite includes a 14KT gold locket with its 26-inch fancy gold chain and matching 14KT gold earrings. The three pieces repeat the same distinctive combination of architectural goldwork, granulation, amethyst, floral ornament, and rose-cut diamonds.

At the center of each jewel is a richly colored natural amethyst carved with an intaglio and embellished with an inlaid gold floral motif accented by rose-cut diamonds. Together, the amethysts weigh approximately 40.60 carats. 

The goldwork is every bit as important as the gemstones. Shield-like forms are outlined with applied wire and rows of minute granulated details, while tiny gold spheres and linear ornament create the intricate surface decoration associated with 19th-century Archaeological and Etruscan Revival jewelry. Even the 26-inch chain participates in the design, alternating slender links with open geometric stations that echo the pendant and earrings' angular forms.

The pendant also functions as a locket, with an oval compartment on the reverse for a photograph or keepsake. The matching earrings feature 10KT yellow gold screw-style backs.

Etruscan Revival jewelry grew from the 19th-century fascination with archaeological discoveries and ancient goldsmithing. Jewelers studied surviving ornaments and revived techniques and visual effects associated with ancient jewelry, particularly granulation, applied wirework, geometric forms, and richly textured gold surfaces.