Antique Jewelry – This is a 14K gold chain with a 10K gold lavalier pendant by Ostby & Barton.
The pendant has a .1 carat red ruby, seed pearls and a baroque pearl drop. It is hallmarked 10K gold and signed OB. The chain is 18″ long, hallmarked 14K, total weight is 1.9 grams.
Ostby and Barton Co. jewelry company, was founded in 1879 by Engelhart Cornelius Ostby and Nathan B. Barton. Collectors search for pieces of O & B jewelry partly because of Ostby newsworthy death and partly because of the quality of the jewelry.
Ostby was 64 years when he died on the Titantic. After the collision, he and his daughter, climbed the grand staircase and went out to the boat deck. It was frigid outside, so Ostby decided to quickly return to his room to gather some warmer attire. While he was inside the ship, Helene was convinced to board a lifeboat. She desperately wanted her father to join, but she listened to the men and got on the boat. Helene would never see her father again.