A 15ct gold suffragette bangle with scrollwork to the sides and a wave-set row of pearls, with amethysts and emeralds set between them. The colours were entirely deliberate — purple, white and green were the colours of the suffragette movement, adopted by the Women's Social and Political Union from 1908. Green for Give, White for Women, Violet for Votes — the stones themselves spelling out the movement's rallying cry in a language only those who knew could read.
Jewellery set with these three stones in combination was worn as a quiet but powerful statement of solidarity, at a time when open political expression was dangerous for women. This bangle predates the formal adoption of the colours by two years — hallmarked 1906 — suggesting it was made in the early stirrings of the movement, before the colours became widely codified.
The scrollwork to the sides is well executed and the stone setting crisp throughout. A piece that carries both fine craftsmanship and genuine historical significance.
As with any piece of this age, there are minor signs of a century of wear that add to rather than detract from its character. Under magnification one of the amethysts shows a very minor chip — invisible to the naked eye and imperceptible when worn. The emeralds carry a few light surface marks consistent with age and use. Neither affects the appearance or wearability of the bangle in any meaningful way, and both are entirely in keeping with a piece that has been worn and lived in for over 115 years.
Era: Edwardian, 1906
Hallmarks: Birmingham assay office, 15ct gold, date letter 'g' for the year 1906. Makers marks "S&E" Smith & Ewen.
Dimensions:
Width 15mm at front, 2mm at back
Circumference 6.5" (16.5cm)
Amethyst 2.2mm 0.05ct
Emerald 2.2mm 0.05ct
Weight: 8.2 grams
