Summary

Gold mounted cameo ear pendants by Thomas Gaunt of Melbourne, circa 1870.

This pair, in a richly coloured gold setting, combine the European taste of cameos together with an Australian flavour. They are almost pristine, as they were probably only worn for a special occasion or because they were out of fashion and put away for over a century. Typical of the Australian colonial period, the decoration around the imported Italian cameos is of leaves and tendrils.

Thomas Gaunt died in 1890. His successful business, first established in 1858, was continued by his executors and renamed Thomas Gaunt & Co. in 1893. The business traded until 1960.

The ear pendants are presented in their original, London made and jeweller stamped box. Although the outside has some wear, the interior is almost pristine.

Physical Description

A pair of decorative gold mounted cameo earrings. The matched cameos are of a classical woman's profile with cloth draped over the shoulder and with a ringlet of hair falling behind an ear. One profile faces right, the other, left.

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