Victorian Era Onyx and Gemstone Fly Locket

Victorian Era Black Onyx and Gemstone Insect Locket 

England, circa 1870. 

A carved single piece of black onyx forms a locket with the original glass panel intact. We love the details on the bale shaped like the fletching of an arrow. The body of the fly is formed in aquamarine and amethyst with 15k Gold details. 

The locket measures 2.25 inches in drop length and 1.50 inches wide. Chains are sold separately. Please inquire about our available antique chain options.

Insect motifs are among the most enchanting themes in Victorian jewelry, reflecting the era's fascination with nature, symbolism, and the exotic. Crafted in enamel, gold, and gemstones, these delicate creations married scientific curiosity with romantic sentiment, a token of Victorian design. Butterflies embodied transformation and the soul; bees symbolized diligence; and flies, such unexpected little jewels, were cherished as whimsical novelties. By the late nineteenth century, public fascination with the natural world had reached a peak. The opening of London's Museums of Natural History in the 188os offered the public their first close encounter with rare species. In this spirit of discovery, jewelers captured tiny wonders of the natural world, transforming fleeting creatures into enduring works of art.