VICTORIAN GOLD FILLED SPIDER CLOVER PICTURE LOCKET PENDANT

Description

Rare Victorian Gold Filled 1" SPIDER and CLOVER Picture Locket Pendant with original bail/bale (it's wearing thin), two photographs (a young woman and a young man--perhaps sister and brother), original gold filled picture frames, and original Celluloid inserts. The Victorians were admirers of nature, including bugs. Things they were not free to say could be expressed in the motifs and stones chosen for jewelry, as well as the color of the stones.The spider was regarded as a symbol of hard work and patience (with a female connotation); the clover for good luck to the recipient, and also meaning "Ireland." The stones could spell out a message or a name: the order of the stones on this locket is a pearl--"P," then a green stone--emerald--"E" and then "G" for the garnets in the clover. So, PEG, which is short for Margaret. (Please note that the stones are probably paste, not genuine gemstones.) This is just an interpretation on my part, based on the information available to anyone who is interested in deciphering a Victorian piece of jewelry. I like to think the locket was given to a mother named Margaret and the pictures inside are her two children. The locket shows wear in keeping with its age, which is over 100 years old. It snaps securely closed. Please consult with an expert before attempting to clean this piece of jewelry as the materials used and its form of construction does not lend itself to chemicals or soaking it in anything--even water. Smoke-free/pet-free home.