Antique Georgian Gold Portrait Miniature Pendant Locket Hand Painted Ca 1700’s

A fine Late Georgian circular gold portrait miniature locket, dating to the Regency period, circa 1780–1810.

A substantial example, weighing 15.6 grams, giving the piece a pleasing weight and presence when worn.

The exterior is beautifully decorated with a convex engine-turned guilloché pattern, composed of concentric geometric engravings radiating from a central point. This elegant design is framed by a raised repoussé border of scrolling foliate decoration, a decorative technique characteristic of Georgian goldsmithing.

The piece is fitted with a fluted cylindrical hinge and a large textured oval suspension ring, accompanied by a secondary rose-gold tone jump ring, allowing it to be worn as a pendant or watch fob.

Opening the locket reveals a finely executed hand-painted portrait miniature, depicting a young woman in three-quarter view with dark side ringlets. She is dressed in a blue and white striped garment adorned with a pink bow, painted against a soft light blue background.

The portrait is executed in watercolour on ivory, typical of portrait miniatures of the Georgian period, and is protected beneath a glass crystal set within a rose-tone inner bezel. The miniature is finely painted with delicate facial modelling and soft colour tones, characteristic of skilled late 18th to early 19th-century portrait miniature work.

The opposite interior side consists of a polished gold surface, and the locket retains its original working hinge mechanism.

The gold surfaces display a warm tone with natural patination within the recessed areas of the repoussé decoration, consistent with age and careful use.

Portrait miniatures such as this were cherished personal keepsakes during the Georgian and Regency periods, often commissioned to commemorate loved ones or important family connections.

A substantial example weighing approximately 15.6 grams, giving the piece a pleasing weight and presence when worn.

Approximate Dimensions:

35 mm x 7 mm

Weight:

15.6 grams

⸻

UK Ivory Act 2018 Compliance

The portrait miniature is painted on ivory and has been registered as exempt under the UK Ivory Act 2018.

Ivory Exemption Certificate Submission Reference:

QUPLQJKC

This item contains a small amount of worked ivory forming an integral part of the antique and is therefore exempt under the portrait miniature exemption. Buyers purchasing from outside the United Kingdom are responsible for checking local import regulations relating to ivory