Antique 18K Gold T-Bar Pendant with Watch Key

An antique 18 karat gold T-bar with a pocket watch key built into one end, and small raised stars decorating both ends and the middle.

Specifications

• Metal: Solid 18 karat yellow gold
• Length: approximately 2 inches (5.1 cm) across the bar
• Ball diameter: 9.5 mm
• Drop: 0.75 inches (19 mm)
• Weight: 8.85 grams
• Suspension: Jump ring
• Origin: British
• Attribution: Unsigned

Hallmarks

• Crown and 18 on the jump ring, the British mark for 18 carat gold

The mark is on the ring the bar hangs from rather than on the bar itself, which is normal for small fittings like this. The whole piece has been XRF tested, so the 18 karat gold is confirmed throughout and not just assumed from the ring.

About the Piece

A round ball at each end, a slim polished bar between them, and a rounded section in the middle where it hangs. Thin ridged rings mark where the parts meet. This is the classic Albert T-bar shape, made to slip through a waistcoat buttonhole and hold a pocket watch chain in place.

What makes this one better than a plain T-bar is hiding in one of the balls. A short tube sticks out of it with a square hole in the end. That is a watch key. Old pocket watches were wound with a key that fitted over a small square post, and here the key is built straight into the chain fitting, so the owner always had it with him. Most of these keys were lost or replaced over the years, which is why bars that still have theirs turn up far less often than plain ones.

The decoration is worth a close look. Small raised stars sit on a matte, lightly textured surface at both ends and in the middle, and that texture plays against the shine of the polished bar. All of it is worked into the metal itself. Nothing is applied.

The piece is exactly as it was made. Nothing has been shortened, rebuilt, or converted into something else.

Styling

At about two inches across it hangs as a clean horizontal line rather than a small charm, which makes it a striking pendant. It looks best on a paperclip or trombone chain, where the bar picks up the shape of the links, though it works just as well on a fine chain where the contrast does the work. And if you actually wear a pocket watch, it still does the job it was built for.

Authentication & Metal Verification

This piece has been tested using XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) analysis to confirm gold purity and authenticity. In addition to the British hallmark on the suspension ring, we have verified the composition of the bar itself. We will provide the purchaser with a copy of the XRF report for their records. This is an extra level of transparency rarely available with antique jewelry.

Condition

Very good antique condition. The hallmark is crisp and the rings are strong. Light surface wear consistent with age, including fine scratches on the polished sections that show up under magnification. The small tube sticking out of one ball is the watch key, an original working part, not damage.

All estate, vintage and antique jewelry is sold AS IS, with no repairs or enhancements.

Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description.

This listing is for the 18 karat gold T-bar and its rings only. The chain shown in some photographs is for styling purposes and is not included.

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