French Mice Earrings, 14K Gold, $625/pair

I can usually resist the temptation to cast old jewelry, but these were too good to pass up. I found the original pair from an English dealer earlier this year.  The originals have French marks and date to the late 19th century, and were handmade in silver (the originals are for sale as well).  They cast nicely in gold.  The beauty of their design is that from face-on they look very elegant and vaguely botanical— like a closed flower or a seed pod.  But when you see them in profile they’re very clearly little mice hanging from their tales.