A PREHISTORIC arrowhead is mounted on black velvet inside this late Art Deco locket. By the 1930s, ancient artifacts had become popular souvenirs and collector’s objects. Here, the arrowhead is framed almost like a museum specimen, with the radiating sunburst on the reverse looking both ultra-modern and as timeless as the sun itself. The locket reflects the enduring fascination with humanity’s distant past. Who were we when we used stone tools? Are humans so different to how we were in the 1930's, erecting skyscrapers? Or the 21st century, poking a keyboard?
thedetails
- Materials
18k gold (marked), glass lens, arrowhead mounted on velvet
- Age
London assay marks for 1939
- Condition
Excellent
- Size
1 1/2" length including the bale, 1 1/8" diameter
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Aboutthe
Art DecoEra
1915 — 1940
Motifs like ziggurats and sunbursts, stripped of visual clutter, conveyed the optimism of an increasingly technological world. In jewelry, the predominant use of white metals let colorful gems take center stage. Stones that were opaque and true in color, like lapis lazuli, onyx, jade, coral, and opal were worked into designs alongside more precious and brilliant gems, like diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. Extra-long beaded necklaces and tasseled “sautoirs” followed the narrow flapper silhouette. The baguette cut was an Art Deco innovation, and the decade saw increased use of other angular diamond cuts, like the precise calibré cut and the emerald cut. Synthetic colored gems, specifically ruby and sapphire, were celebrated as a scientific marvel. Marcel Tolkowsky, 21 years old at the time, published the design for the round brilliant cut in 1919.
please note:Terms of Sale
Antiques can be returned unworn and in original condition within 10 days of delivery for an exchange or refund minus the cost of shipping. Once a piece has been altered, including ring re-sizing, it is FINAL SALE.





