Antique jewelry glossary

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Fob seal

A seal mounted on the base of a shank that is about 2,5 cm to 5 cm long and has a small ring for suspension from a chatelaine of watch chain. The shanks were made of a variety of materials, including gold, silver, and hardstones, as well as glass decorated with twists or in mellefiori style.

In some examples the seal was set so as to swivel in the arms of the shank. Some unusual Swiss specimens have a musical mechanism built into the shank. During the second half of the 18th century such pieces were made in England of gold very ornately decorated in a great variety of styles and designs.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson