Once part of an Edwardian sterling-silver manicure set, this pendant began life as the ornate top of a nail buffer crafted by E. S. Barnsley & Co. of Frederick Street, Birmingham. The maker’s mark E.S.B and the Birmingham hallmark with date letter “f” for 1905 remain clearly struck — quiet witnesses to its former function.
Originally designed to sit in a velvet-lined dressing-case, the buffer top bore rich repoussé scrollwork typical of Barnsley’s house style: high-relief acanthus curves and floral flourishes, elegant yet robust. Reclaimed and reshaped into a double-bar pendant, those same patterns now catch the light as they once did under a lady’s vanity mirror, turning a tool of refinement into a piece of wearable art.
Details
Sterling silver (925)
Maker: E. S. Barnsley & Co., Frederick Street, Birmingham
Hallmarks: Birmingham, 1905 (“f”)
Origin: Converted from nail-buffer top, Edwardian period
Pendant width approx. 5.5 cm; height approx. 2 cm
Attached 925 silver chain
Why It Matters
Domestic silver of the Edwardian era was as much about beauty as utility. This pendant preserves that duality - a fragment of everyday elegance recast for modern wear. The craftsmanship of Barnsley’s Birmingham workshop lives on, not behind a glass case, but in motion, against the skin.
Once part of an Edwardian sterling-silver manicure set, this pendant began life as the ornate top of a nail buffer crafted by E. S. Barnsley & Co. of Frederick Street, Birmingham. The maker’s mark E.S.B and the Birmingham hallmark with date letter “f” for 1905 remain clearly struck — quiet witnesses to its former function.
Originally designed to sit in a velvet-lined dressing-case, the buffer top bore rich repoussé scrollwork typical of Barnsley’s house style: high-relief acanthus curves and floral flourishes, elegant yet robust. Reclaimed and reshaped into a double-bar pendant, those same patterns now catch the light as they once did under a lady’s vanity mirror, turning a tool of refinement into a piece of wearable art.
Details
Sterling silver (925)
Maker: E. S. Barnsley & Co., Frederick Street, Birmingham
Hallmarks: Birmingham, 1905 (“f”)
Origin: Converted from nail-buffer top, Edwardian period
Pendant width approx. 5.5 cm; height approx. 2 cm
Attached 925 silver chain
Why It Matters
Domestic silver of the Edwardian era was as much about beauty as utility. This pendant preserves that duality - a fragment of everyday elegance recast for modern wear. The craftsmanship of Barnsley’s Birmingham workshop lives on, not behind a glass case, but in motion, against the skin.
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