Georgian Guinea Coin Sardonyx Locket Watch Fob Pendant Portrait Miniature

Coins and jewels have always had a lot in common. After all, jewelry was mostly created as sort of wearable money, and in a way it still is. Made of precious and semi-precious metals, crafted with an eye to design, made to be beautiful and desired as well as precious. Coins have often been incorporated in jewelry, melted down to make rings, sure, but also framed and worn, dangled off chains, I’ve even  had some that have been turned into pocket knives. This locket was made with a coin, a golden Guinea coin showing the head of George III (1760-1820) in profile, the coin is called  a ‘spade’ guinea for the shape of the shield on the reverse, and is dated to 1790. The coin was not pierced to make the locket but rather was thoughtfully worked into this locket, which might have been made as a watch fob. The locket is set with a small miniature painting of a young man, the painting is somewhat aged. The hand crafted locket is set in the back with a round of sardonyx that has been left un-car