ANTIQUE VICTORIAN c1880 SEED PEARL & BLUE GARNET TOPPED DOUBLET BRACELET BY WILLIS & CO ON 9ct PINK GOLD

A superb example of early Australian jewellery manufacturing created by Willis and Co c1880, this bracelet centres an ornate plaque/shield set with natural seed pearls and two-star flush set blue Garnet topped doublets flanked by two ornate bezel set Doublets with gorgeous decorative scrolls and superb engraved work, the attention to detail and craftsmanship are second to none!

Wonderfully handcrafted c1880 by Willis and Co on 9ct Pink Gold showing their trademark Unicorn and ‘W’ stamp to the inside of the push clasp closure, comes with original safety chain.

The Details:

Stones:  4 x Blue Garnet Topped Doublets

Measures:  17cm around internal circumference (when closed)

Metal:  9ct Pink Gold

Hallmarks:  Unicorn, 9ct, W (Willis & Son)

Weight:  9.6 grams

Condition:  In excellent Antique condition, stones are secure and unabraded, push closure in working well, original safety chain, no issues to note

About the Maker:

History of Willis & Co (Abridged) from ‘Australiana’ – The Journal of Australian Society.

When Richard and Thomas Willis established their jewellery business in Melbourne, in 1858, as importers and wholesalers scarcely could they have imagined that some fifty years later their successors, Willis and Sons, would have become one of the leading manufacturers of gold jewellery in Australia.

Yet the pattern of development of this family business was not dissimilar to that of other merchants who sensed the opportunities that were to flow from the discovery of gold in the Australian colonies in 1851. By 1868, R. & T. Willis were listed in the Melbourne directory as manufacturing jewellers as well as importers.

In 1876 the firm became T Willis & Co, under the control of Thomas and V.J. Willis. Willis & Co continued to trade as wholesale jewellers and importers of watches, clocks, silver and electroplated wares.

It would seem that Willis & Co were engaged in all aspects of the jewellery trade other than retailing. The firm maintained a presence in London, and later in Birmingham — presumably to assist in their importing activities. In Australia, branches had been opened in Sydney and Perth.

With the coming of Federation in 1901, the newly founded Commonwealth government was to impose customs duties on many imported goods, including jewellery — apparently at levels sufficient to encourage, and no doubt protect, local manufacturers. Increasingly wholesale jewellery firms turned to manufacturing, not least among these was T Willis & Co.

In 1904 Willis & Co was incorporated as Willis and Sons Pty Ltd. Willis and Sons was to become the prime manufacturer of gold jewellery in Australia through the 1910s and 1920s. By 1908 they had constructed new premises - manufactory and warehouse, at 350-356 Little Collins Street, Melbourne.  A vast array of jewellery was produced in 9, 15 and 18 carat gold, and in silver, until the closure of their manufactory in 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression, when the company reverted to importing.