Featured Heart locket Rock crystal?

I found this little gem at a car boot sale. When I got home I noticed the hinge and realised it was a locket. Is it likely to be rock crystal which was my first impression?
What age is it likely to be? It’s only tiny, c1.5cm. No marks I can see.
All the stones ( glass?) look to be in good condition which is nice.
Thankyou

 

Those stones look like Bohemian garnets to me. I know that rock crystal lockets go for a premium, so this should do particularly well, in my opinion.

 

Charming find!
I'd say stones have the color of rhodolite garnets (more on the purple side than the fire red Bohemians), for the metal, I can't see well if there is brass showing or if it is all silver color

Anyway, it needs a good cleaning with a soapy water dipped soft tooth brush

 

Trouble is I rather like all the stuff I should sell......

 

Thankyou.
I'm on the fence about the metal. It's very dirty and discoloured but I don't know what's tarnish or what's plate loss at the moment. I think the ring has been replaced at some point and it seems to be a mish mash of brass,silver and gold colours. I'll give it a good clean!.
Either way I find it delightful, I may have to sell some of the more modern stuff to clear some room!.
Any idea of age?

 

Isn't that one of those Victorian morning things that had a lock of the dear departed's hair??

 

What a sweetie, lovely find, KSW. I'm with the others, they look like garnets.
Although many Bohemian garnets are those firey pyropes, purply-red almandines are also found in Bohemia.
The loop looks brassy, but the rest looks silver. Could be silver-plated, or could be silver and brass.

 

I'll report back after cleaning!
Any ideas on age?

 

1860-1900??

 

Pre-1880. Possibly 1840-80?

 

Kyra @kyratango (or anyone) , how long have rhodolite garnets been popular? I thought they were a more recent occurrence in jewelry? What other garnet choices are there? I have a beautiful garnet I bought in 1988 as a "Madagascar" garnet and truly it is the deepest red I've ever seen.

I am in agreement with AJ that this looks to be pre-1880.

 

Rhodolites are usually more pink, whereas almandines are darker. There is a fine line, but I would call KSW's garnets almandines, rather than rhodolites. Almandines have been popular in Europe since antiquity. They have also been popular in South and Southeast Asia for centuries.

That sounds beautiful, anti. Madagascar is famous for almandine garnets, so that is probably what it is.

 

End of 19th
Edit: I saw AJ answer after writing... still thinking around 1880 rather than before, as for almandine garnets vs rhodolite.... is a thinking I won’t dispute both are my fav in garnets!

 

That looks Bohemian to me in terms of stones. It may have been for dangling from a watch chain rather than wearing as a pendant. I'd think mid 19th.

 

Rhodolites have been popular for a hundred years since their discovery in North Carolina Cowee Valley area along with rubies and sapphires.The garnets were used by Tiffany's and other jewelers.

 

I love everything about it.

 

Wow, a real oldie!. What tells you it's pre 1880 please?

 

Look to what I found! 1890s, Bohemian garnets, this one has its bale. But the price asked...
https://www.karendeakinantiques.com...-bohemian-garnet-heart-locket-from-the-1890s/



video:

 

Sorry to hijack this thread, but on the topic of garnets, I picked up this Victorian brooch recently and was confused by the stones. It's like the bottom half of the stones (both facing up and facing down) have a purplish hue when they catch the light. Are they rhodolite garnets too? No hallmarks (that is just a dent on the pin), but the metal is goldish-silver tone. The stones are quite large at 1 cm tall and .5 cm wide.

 

Thankyou. I didn't realise what a little treasure I'd found until I got home and looked under a loupe. I rather just grabbed it off the table together with a handful of stuff as the dealers were moving in quick!
I must be mad but I'd rather sell the 14ct pendant and 9ct chain that were in my bundle and keep this. Then there is the tiny watch case marked Cartier on the back which looks fake to my totally uneducated eyes but tests very positively for gold on a touchstone. I'll post a photo when I get back as would a faker use gold at all, even for plating?. Anyway that's for another post....