Seal A seal is an intaglio that holds the signature, monogram or another symbol that represents the owner and serves as authentication when imprinted in wax or other soft substance. Seals are often carved from gem material such as agate or carnelian, but they can also...
Snaps Snaps were an eighteenth-century earring fitting (1773) that allowed women whose ears were not pierced to clip earrings on. The earring styles of the day were so heavy that ear snaps usually featured a hook, that looped over the top of the ear, to provide...
Stanhope Jewelry A Carved Ivory Souvenir Needlecase Designed as an Umbrella with a Stanhope Lens in the Handle.Photo Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum Collection. A Stanhope is a miniature convex lens, binocular or monocular, that can be used to view tiny...
Suffragist Jewelry Is the jewelry often labeled “Suffragist (Suffragette) Jewelry” simply indicative of the fashion of the period or was it symbolic of a cause women (and some men) fought for passionately? Certainly, a case can be made for both points of...
Talisman The Eye of Horus.Louvre. A talisman is a charm, amulet or other ornament that has a magical meaning to the wearer. It could ward off evil, disease or warrant good luck to the wearer. Often special attributes were assigned to gemstones and...
