It seemed like a reasonable souvenir at the time.

By the turn of the 20th century, watch fobs had become surprisingly theatrical little objects. Men carried miniature daggers, globes, seals, pistols, horseshoes, and charms from their chains as shorthand for worldliness, ambition, luck, travel, or occasionally just personality. The line between practical accessory and decorative self-invention had become increasingly blurry by then.

This Victorian watch fob pendant combines a suspended dagger, draped chain, and floral orb into a piece that immediately changes the tone of whatever it’s layered with. The movement keeps it from feeling overly rigid, while the unusual silhouette gives it the kind of presence that tends to attract questions halfway through the evening. Dramatic in exactly the right proportion.

Details

• Era: Late Victorian to Early Edwardian, c. 1890s–1910s
• Material: Gold Filled
• Hallmarks: None 
• Size: Approx. 3 inches long x 5/8 inch across
• Style Notes: Especially strong layered with heavier chains or worn alone as the kind of piece people immediately ask about
• Condition: Very good antique condition with light surface wear and warm patina throughout. Chain and suspended elements remain secure and fully intact.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr signature wrapping, ready for gifting or keeping entirely for yourself.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

The Victorians rarely traveled alone.

By the turn of the 20th century, photographs were still formal occasions. People dressed carefully, sat still, chose their best angle, and then carried those selected versions of one another around for decades beneath rock crystal and silver frames. Portrait lockets like this weren’t casual objects. They were deliberate decisions about who deserved permanent proximity.

This antique sterling silver photo locket pendant features dual beveled rock crystal windows containing two surviving gentleman’s portraits, both remarkably intact beneath their original covers. Sourced in France, the thick crystal gives the photographs an unusual depth and clarity in person, while the softly darkened silver frame and oval silhouette retain the formal restraint typical of the period. Most antique lockets no longer contain their original photographs, which makes this example feel especially complete.

Details

• Era: Late Victorian to Early Edwardian, c. 1890s–1910s
• Material: Sterling Silver & Rock Crystal
• Hallmarks: None
• Size: Approx. 1.2 inches long x 1 inch across
• Origin: Sourced in France
• Interior: Retains two original gentleman’s portraits beneath beveled rock crystal covers
• Style Notes: Especially compelling worn slightly longer where the crystal catches light and the portraits reveal themselves gradually
• Condition: Very good antique condition with light surface wear and softly darkened silver patina throughout. Rock crystal remains intact on both sides with surviving original photographs securely in place.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr signature wrapping, ready for gifting or keeping entirely for yourself.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Good luck getting the full story.

She probably answered questions beautifully while revealing almost nothing useful.

That particular skill used to be considered a social asset, especially among people who understood that privacy, composure, and a little strategic mystery could carry their own kind of power. “Zora” feels built for that world. Tailored. Controlled. Personal without becoming confessional. The sort of object that stayed close without ever fully explaining itself.

This late Victorian to Edwardian 10k gold watch fob locket features crisp geometric detailing, articulated chain-style framing, and two separate personal inscriptions: the engraved initials “A.R.” across the front center panel and the name “Zora” engraved across the reverse side. The construction feels noticeably more tailored than many Victorian lockets from the same period, with clean lines and restrained dimensionality that give the piece an unusually controlled presence in person. Inside, the original compartment frames remain intact beneath a richly aged gold interior that still carries traces of the private life this piece once moved through.

Details

• Era: Late Victorian to Edwardian, c. 1895–1910
• Material: 10k Gold
• Hallmarks: Marked 10k
• Size: Approx. 1 inch diameter
• Weight: 4.17 grams
• Monograms & Engravings: “A.R.” engraved on front center panel; “Zora” engraved on reverse
• Style Notes: Especially strong worn slightly longer where the engraved details reveal themselves gradually rather than all at once
• Condition: Excellent antique condition with crisp engraving, clean interior compartments, and light surface wear consistent with age.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr signature wrapping, ready for gifting or keeping entirely for yourself.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Several concerns were raised.

Crafted in gold fill and set with pink stones, this vintage lion pendant carries a surprising amount of character in a remarkably small scale. Cabochon eyes and a faceted stone held between parted jaws bring warmth and expression to the sculpted lion’s face, while the softly worn gold surface gives the piece the feeling of a long-kept personal talisman. Equal parts guardian, mascot, and conversation starter, it’s the sort of charm that tends to choose its wearer.

Details

• Era: Vintage, c. 1950s–1970s
• Material: Gold Filled (tested)
• Stones: Pink cabochon eyes and faceted pink mouth stone
• Size: Approximately 3/4 x 1/2 inch
• Style: Lion pendant / talisman charm
• Hallmarks: None
• Condition:  Vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age. There is visible wear and patina to the gold-filled surface along the lower right side of the lion’s chin and jaw, visible in photographs. Stones remain secure.

• Styling Notes: Wears beautifully on a fine chain, watch chain necklace, charm stack, or layered among personal talismans and collected objects.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Still holding space.

More than a century later, it remains ready to do exactly what it was made to do. Open the locket and the original photo retainers are still in place, waiting for two small portraits, two folded notes, or whatever matters enough to be carried close. The photographs may be gone, but the space reserved for them remains.

The front is marked by a trio of ruby-colored paste stones gathered beneath a band of hand engraving, creating a design that feels more personal than ornamental. There is no monogram, no inscription, no clue as to who carried it first. Only the suggestion that something once lived inside, and the possibility that something might again.

Details

• Era: Victorian, c. 1905–1915
• Material: Gold Filled
• Stones: Ruby-colored paste stones
• Size: Approximately 1 inch diameter
• Style: Round photo locket
• Hallmarks: None found
• Condition: Good antique condition with age-appropriate wear. Original photo retainers remain intact on both sides. One paste stone shows wear to its foil backing, resulting in a slightly darker appearance than the other two stones. Locket opens and closes securely.

• Styling Notes: An easy everyday locket with enough detail to stand on its own, whether worn on a fine chain or layered among longer antique pieces.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Today, more than yesterday.

Inspired by a line from Rosemonde Gérard’s beloved poem, “Aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain” — today more than yesterday and much less than tomorrow — French jeweler Alphonse Augis transformed a literary sentiment into one of the twentieth century’s most enduring love tokens. Rather than engraving the full phrase, Augis distilled it to its essence: + qu’hier − que demain. A promise not of perfection, but of continuation.

Crafted in 18k yellow gold, this substantial French love medal is accented with five diamonds and three calibré-cut rubies set into the symbolic plus and minus signs. The textured ground catches the light with a radiant finish, while the generous 1-inch scale gives it real presence worn alone or layered with modern chains. Collectible, deeply wearable, and unmistakably French, the Augis love medal remains one of the most recognizable expressions of devotion in vintage jewelry.

Details

• Era: c. 1950s
• Origin: France
• Maker: Augis
• Metal: 18k yellow gold
• Stones: 5 diamonds; 3 calibré-cut rubies
• Markings: Signed Augis; French eagle head mark for 18k gold
• Measurements: Approximately 1 inch diameter
• Weight: 5.86 grams
• Condition: Very good vintage condition with light evidence of wear consistent with age and use, including minor wear to the bail and a faint impression to the reverse visible only on close inspection. 
• Styling Notes: A French icon. Wear it on a fine gold chain as an everyday signature, or stack it among mixed-era favorites for a look that feels collected rather than coordinated. Equally suited to denim and a white tee as it is to life’s more meaningful occasions.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Because practicality had already been accounted for.

The smallest luxuries often leave the strongest impression. Caprice delights in details: curling scrolls, a softly puffed center, and a silhouette that transforms a simple pendant into something unmistakably antique. It asks for very little attention and somehow manages to hold onto it anyway.

Originally suspended from a watch chain, Caprice brought ornament to an object already defined by function. The openwork design and gently domed center create a surprising sense of volume despite its petite scale. Sourced in Paris and no larger than a postage stamp, it arrives as proof that the smallest objects are sometimes the hardest to forget.

Details

• Era: Victorian, c. 1900–1910
• Origin: Paris, France
• Material: Gold Filled
• Size: Approximately 1/2 inch x 3/4 inch
• Style: Watch pendant / watch chain accessory pendant
• Hallmarks: None
• Condition: Good antique condition with wear consistent with age and use. A small area of wear to the gold fill is present at the raised center cartouche on one side, visible upon close inspection and shown in photographs. The openwork details remain crisp and well defined, and the pendant retains its original charm and functionality.

• Styling Notes: Small enough for everyday wear yet distinctive enough to anchor a layered story, Caprice pairs beautifully with antique watch chains, fine gold necklaces, and collected charms from different eras.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

There was one more thing.

Tiny enough to escape notice, Postscript rewards proximity. A diamond star interrupts an otherwise orderly composition, cutting across engraved scrollwork with unexpected confidence. Equal parts keepsake and punctuation mark, it turns a private object into something impossible to overlook.

Created during the transition between the Edwardian and Art Deco periods, Postscript borrows from both without belonging entirely to either. The engraved floral scrollwork and star-set diamond look backward, while the compact square silhouette and striking diagonal division anticipate the cleaner geometry to come. Open the locket and the construction reveals itself with equal care, from the engine-turned interiors to the reverse of the diamond setting itself. Discovery is part of the design.

• Era: Transitional (Edwardian–Art Deco), c. 1915–1925
• Material: 14k yellow gold with white gold/platinum-topped accent
• Stones: One old-cut diamond measuring approximately 3.3 mm (estimated 0.12–0.15 carats)
• Weight: 4.33 grams
• Measurements: Approximately 11/16 inch square
• Style: Two-tone diamond locket
• Hallmarks: None noted
• Condition: Very good antique condition with wear consistent with age and use. The locket opens and closes securely. Light evidence of use is present commensurate with age.

• Styling Notes: The scale makes Postscript remarkably versatile. Wear it alone on a fine chain as an everyday signature, or incorporate it into a collected neck stack where its diamond star and two-tone construction reveal themselves over time.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

She had opinions.

More than a century later, she still appears ready to share them. Framed beneath crystal and surrounded by a halo of pink stones, she meets your gaze with an expression that reads somewhere between amusement and appraisal. Whoever she was, she understood the power of being remembered on her own terms. The portrait remains, equal parts keepsake and introduction, waiting for the next person willing to carry her story forward.

Six vivid pink stones and a finely worked gold-filled openwork halo elevate the portrait from memento to adornment. The mother-of-pearl backing catches the light beneath the crystal, giving the miniature an unexpected glow. She crossed more than a century to arrive here from Paris, carrying her identity intact and her story largely to herself.

Details

• Era: Victorian, c. 1890–1910
• Origin: Paris, France

• Material: Gold Filled, Mother of Pearl
• Stones: Six pink open-back stones

• Size: Approximately 1 1/4 inches in diameter
• Style: Portrait miniature pendant
• Hallmarks: DS
• Condition: Good antique condition with age-appropriate wear. Portrait remains clear beneath the rock crystal cover. Mother-of-pearl backing retains a lovely luminosity. Pink stones are intact and well matched. Surface wear consistent with age is present upon close inspection.

• Styling Notes: Wear Colette on a simple antique chain and let her do the talking, or layer her among lockets and charms as the undeniable focal point of a collected, storied neck stack.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.