Georgian Quandong Seed Locket
A rare and delightful Georgian locket crafted from a quandong seed. The desert quandong (aka urti in parts of South Australia and bidjigal in parts of Victoria) is an evergreen tree in the sandalwood family, native to the arid deserts of central and southern Australia. Its bright red fruit ranges in colour from bright pink to dark pink and ruby red and is, by all accounts, delicious. It can be stewed, pickled, jammed, or juiced, and owing to its high vitamin C content, and ability to grow in arid, drought-prone conditions, has long been an important (and, by all accounts, delicious) bush food. The kernel inside the tough seed case can be ground into a paste and used to ease toothache and gum pain.
This locket is formed from a quandong seed that's been split in two and mounted in 15 carat gold. Hinged down one side, it opens to reveal two locket compartments each home to a curled lock of hair - blonde and brown - secured by lengths of gold wire. The gold is intricately engraved with abstract foliate designs and hatching.
Era: Georgian, circa 1800
Size: 3.0cm (including bail) by 2.0cm
Stone: Quandong seed
Marks: None, tested as 15ct gold
Condition: Great antique condition
Full appraisal document provided with each item.
This includes a valuation for insurance purposes, item specifics, date, and origins (where applicable).
Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain).
Shipping
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Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
UPS Express (International)
RM Special Delivery (UK domestic)
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Resizing
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Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
A 25% deposit will be taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved and often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff/scrape are quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
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