(2) Antique W.E.W & Co Rolled Gold Garter Bracelet

Pair of Antique 1880's W.E.W & Co Gold Plated Garter Bracelets. This Pair of Antique 1880's W.E.W & Co Gold Plated Garter Bracelets is in very good condition as pictured. They measure approximately 8" long. This is a wonderful piece from the Victorian period. There are two of these bracelets in this lot. The bracelets have 3 adjustment options. The bracelets are signed "W.E. and W. CO". It does not have a patent stamp. Although the keyhole-shaped slots are classic features of the West’s Patent adjustable clasp patent, it only applied to rigid bangles and NOT the flexible bangles. The “West’s Patent” adjustable clasp commonly found on Victorian bangles is generally attributed to an 1871 UK patent by John West, a Birmingham inventor and jeweler. The exact UK patent number is not easy to find in modern online databases because 19th-century UK design patents were not always numbered the same way as today. This design was specifically for an adjustable, secure tongue-and-slot locking clasp used on rigid hinged bangles. The design made wearing bangles safer by preventing accidental opening and allowing adjustable fitting through multiple slots or “keyholes”. These clasps were so practical and popular that the term “West’s Patent” became a catchphrase in the jewelry trade for any hinged bangle using this mechanism, even if not all makers paid license fees for it — so the clasp style spread widely between about 1871 and 1900. This design allows you to adjust the tightness and lock the bracelet securely — an innovation in the late 19th century for hinged bangles like this one. The small sliding piece and the pin are all original elements of this mechanism. One bracelet is missing the center stone on the center element. Both for one bid. See pictures for complete condition and description. We will always combine the shipping on multiple item purchases in the same auction. We will only combine shipping where feasible.