Yellow Gold

A wonderfully and poignantly storied piece, complete with historic provenance! This superb custom locket pendant in solid 18 carat gold dates to 1853 and carries truly special memorials to front and back. The front locket contains an ornate spray of hair, wonderfully finely displayed and embellished with gold ropework and tiny seed pearls. To the back a further hair display, this time a fabulously well crafted and personal shamrock device made from the hair of three people, also with gold rope and pearl embellishments but including the thistle, rose and shamrock of Scotland, England and Ireland in two-colour gold, overlaying each. Around the outer edge is ornately hand carved ‘Nemo Mortalium Omnibus Horis Sapit’ – ‘No mortal is wise at all times’, or ‘Nobody’s Perfect’. The front of the locket has some incredible terraced floral cannetille work typical of the period, and it comes complete with an accompanying note from the late 1800’s identifying the hair in the main locket to be that of one Reverend Taylor White, 1805-53, Vicar at Norton Cuckney, Nottinghamshire, England, and the three in the back compartment belonging to his first wife, his cousin and his first love. The full text of the note is reproduced below – quite a rabbit hole can be found with a simple search for this family. It comes with its original custom fitted teardrop box, a superbly charming relic in itself and is in lovely antique condition, with no loss or damage. It weighs in at 18.0 grams unboxed, and measures 45 mm in diameter. ‘To my Godchild Bessie White I leave a locket with hair which was made for her grandmother (Mrs Taylor White) and contains the hair of the three women whom her grand-father admired above all others. The Shamrock (Letitia Dorathea Kirke) denotes his wife, the rose his cousin Betsy Burnaby, who died unmarried, & the thistle his first love Keith Ramsay sister to the 1st wife (Georgina Ramsay) of your great Uncle Ths. W. White. Also a gold brooch containing your grandmothers hair & wedding ring, which your grandfather always wore pinned upon his shirt just above his heart.’ The other pieces mentioned here now sadly lost. All my items are guaranteed 100% as described or your money back, so buy with confidence! What’s more, I offer layaway deals so there’s no need to let any of my listings slip through your fingers – just ask! For security all items are stored in a bank’s safe deposit box and sent fully insured for peace of mind. If you like this one, click here to see my other items.