A jewel of quiet fascination and pleasing weight, this handsome citrine spinner dates to the high Victorian period, when jewellery was expected not only to adorn, but to delight. Crafted in warm 9ct gold and centred with a generously proportioned faceted citrine, the stone is suspended within a cleverly engineered frame that allows it to rotate freely, a small marvel of nineteenth-century ingenuity.
Spinners such as this enjoyed great popularity in the later Victorian era, worn as fobs or charms and admired for their movement as much as their beauty. In an age before distraction was industrialised, these tactile jewels offered a moment of calm occupation. One imagines them turning gently in the hand during long conversations or railway journeys, catching the light as thoughts wandered.
This example is particularly appealing. The citrine displays a soft, golden glow, deepened by age and beautifully complemented by the mellowed gold of its mount. The frame is fully hallmarked to the reverse for Birmingham, with the date letter g confirming 1881, and bears the maker’s mark J.R, a pleasing reminder of the craftsman behind the piece.
In modern life, it transitions effortlessly from its Victorian origins. Worn today on a fine gold chain, it makes a striking and characterful necklace - or, for those inclined, a most elegant and discreet “fidget” jewel, offering the same gentle satisfaction it did nearly a century and a half ago.
Details
Metal: 9ct gold
Stone: Citrine
Weight: 12.9 grams
Measurements: 29.5 x 29.5 x 18 mm (excluding bail)
Hallmarks: Birmingham assay office, date letter g (1881)
Maker’s mark: J.R
A beautifully weighted antique spinner, rich in history and quietly playful - proof that good design, like good manners, never dates.
A jewel of quiet fascination and pleasing weight, this handsome citrine spinner dates to the high Victorian period, when jewellery was expected not only to adorn, but to delight. Crafted in warm 9ct gold and centred with a generously proportioned faceted citrine, the stone is suspended within a cleverly engineered frame that allows it to rotate freely, a small marvel of nineteenth-century ingenuity.
Spinners such as this enjoyed great popularity in the later Victorian era, worn as fobs or charms and admired for their movement as much as their beauty. In an age before distraction was industrialised, these tactile jewels offered a moment of calm occupation. One imagines them turning gently in the hand during long conversations or railway journeys, catching the light as thoughts wandered.
This example is particularly appealing. The citrine displays a soft, golden glow, deepened by age and beautifully complemented by the mellowed gold of its mount. The frame is fully hallmarked to the reverse for Birmingham, with the date letter g confirming 1881, and bears the maker’s mark J.R, a pleasing reminder of the craftsman behind the piece.
In modern life, it transitions effortlessly from its Victorian origins. Worn today on a fine gold chain, it makes a striking and characterful necklace - or, for those inclined, a most elegant and discreet “fidget” jewel, offering the same gentle satisfaction it did nearly a century and a half ago.
Details
Metal: 9ct gold
Stone: Citrine
Weight: 12.9 grams
Measurements: 29.5 x 29.5 x 18 mm (excluding bail)
Hallmarks: Birmingham assay office, date letter g (1881)
Maker’s mark: J.R
A beautifully weighted antique spinner, rich in history and quietly playful - proof that good design, like good manners, never dates.
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