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Vintage Mermaid jewellery

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Vintage Mermaid jewellery. Pendant, French, circa 1860-1870. Gold, enamel, foil set Burmese old cut rubies, pearl, mother of pearl

French pendant, circa 1860-1870. Gold, enamel, foil set Burmese old cut rubies, pearl, mother of pearl. Vintage Mermaid jewellery

Vintage Mermaid jewellery
Great storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen romanticized mermaid pretty much, because originally it was just a creepy creature. The existence of mermaids has been known since ancient times. In Russia, mermaids were considered the drowned girls. Or the suicide girls who decided to end life because of unhappy love. It is believed that the biggest holiday for them is the night of July 7, when they come out of the water and dance. Mermaids are interested not only in mere mortals, but the powerful men.
Russian Emperor Peter I carefully studied the records of Christopher Columbus, who claimed to have seen with his own eyes the three beautiful maidens with fish tails, frolicking off the coast.
Mermaid has long been an inspiration for jewelers.

16th century-style pendant, 19th century. German or Italian. Gold, enamel, jewels

16th century-style pendant, 19th century. German or Italian. Gold, enamel, jewels

Mermaid (Merrow, Morrough, Moruach, Moruadh, Maighdean-mara, Ben-Varrey, Mary Morgan) – continental and insular folkloric figure. Half-human, half-fish beings are found in the folklore of all Celtic lands, from the west of Ireland across Scotland and England to the coasts of France. These figures most often appeared as female, although male merfolk are occasionally known. They had much in common with other half-human beings such as Swan Maidens and Seal people but had special powers as well.

19th century Renaissance-style blister-pearl, pearl, ruby and emerald Merman pendant

19th century Renaissance-style blister-pearl, pearl, ruby and emerald Merman pendant

A mermaid was a kind of sea fairy, an other-world creature who swam in shallow coastal waters, often with the intention of drawing humans into the brine and to their deaths. In some tales, mermaids did so because they found human men irresistibly attractive; in these tales they are typical fairy lovers. Their sweet singing lulled people to sleep wherever water could lap over them so they drowned; these figures may be confused with the classical siren, a death-messenger who appears as a bird as well as a singing maiden.

Vintage Mermaid jewellery

Hattie Carnegie Enameled Mermaid Brooch ca 1960

Hattie Carnegie Enameled Mermaid Brooch ca 1960

The Scottish islands are rich in mermaid folklore. On the Isle of Skye fair-haired people were said to descend from mermaids; members of the Morrow, MacMorrow, MacCodrums, and MacMurray families were their living relatives. In Orkney, off the northern coast of Scotland, a mermaid was recorded to have appeared in the sea in the 1890s, her milk-white body, long arms, and unnaturally tiny head visible from shore. In the Hebrides the mermaid did not sport a magical cap as in other lands; instead she had a magical belt that had to be stolen to tame her. Her descendants were said to have the gift (or curse) of foreseeing who would die at sea. In the Shetlands many people believed themselves descended from mermaids, pointing to a small membrane between fingers and toes (actually a natural, although unusual, physiological mutation) as proof.

Mermaid made in France circa 1890 enameled gold, with a central baroque pearl, set with diamonds & cabochon ruby

France, circa 1890 enameled gold, with a central baroque pearl, set with diamonds & cabochon ruby

In Brittany mermaid appeared as a siren, luring men to their deaths in treacherous waters. Their leader was the pagan princess Dahut, who floated above her submerged city of YS and sang beautifully to passing sailors. Should a man venture toward her, however, he drowned in the wild ocean waves. Dahut, whose legend describes her murderous love for men, may have been a mermaid before being depicted as a princess, or the opposite may be true. In some parts of Brittany it was said that all mermaids are daughters of Dahut.

Mermaid Pendant, gold, enamel and a baroque pearl, French, c. 1890

Pendant, gold, enamel and a baroque pearl, French, c. 1890

In England mermaids were associated with freshwater as well as the ocean; the LAKE MAID¬ENS did not live in running water but only in pools and other still water.

Mermaid. Jewelry box by Russian artists Elena and Mikhail Shenshin

Jewelry box by Russian artists Elena and Mikhail Shenshin

Vintage Mermaid jewellery

Pendant, Italy, Galleria – Tesoro dei Medici, ca 16th century

Vintage Mermaid jewellery

Reinhold Vasters, Pendant, c.1870-1895 V&A

Vintage Mermaid jewellery

Ring by Igor Orlov. In the center – Australian opal

Gold, enamel, ivory and diamond pendant. Circa 1900

Gold, enamel, ivory and diamond pendant. Circa 1900

Vintage Mermaid jewellery

Gold pendant set with cabochon emeralds and rose diamonds; form of mermaid. 16 century

Vintage Mermaid jewellery

Plisson & Hartz, Pendant, c.1900

Mermaid ear cuff

Sevan Bicakci Mermaid ear cuff

Kirks Folly mermaid jewelry:

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Crescent and mermaid

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Silver tone Mermaid

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Brooch pendant

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Jewelry composition

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Fabulous art

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Figural jewelry

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Pendant

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Pendant with charms

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Anchor with mermaid

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Marine theme pendant

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Little mermaid

Little mermaid by Kirks Folly

Jeweled mermaid art

Set The Little Mermaid, scented candles, bracelet, Kirks Folly

Scented candles, bracelet

Set The Little Mermaid, scented candles, bracelet, Kirks Folly

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