Antique niello pink gold Albertina chain (enamel inlay makes a stripe effect) makes a great necklace for an antique Italian pendant.

You may click to enlarge. Pieces can be found in photo albums

The portrait framed in silver, is painted on ivory.

Here’s another idea for an unusual bracelet. Many years ago Albert chains were used by men for their pocket watches. They would suspend the watch from a fob and it often had charms hanging from it as well. Examples of some interesting English fob charms I have collected:
Women had Albertina chains. Like a man’s Albert chain, these would hook through a button hole and suspend a watch. Charms might be added as well. This little crystal bottle was used for perfume or smelling salts and may have been suspended from a watch chain, or a chatelaine, a kind of a mass of dangling household necessities worn at the waist full of all kinds of interesting items—a watch, sewing implements (needle case, little scissors), keys, charms. They are amazing!

Women had Albertina chains. Like a man’s Albert chain, these would hook through a button hole and suspend a watch. Charms might be added as well. This little crystal bottle was used for perfume or smelling salts and may have been suspended from a watch chain, or a chatelaine, a kind of a mass of dangling household necessities worn at the waist full of all kinds of interesting items—a watch, sewing implements (needle case, little scissors), keys, charms. They are amazing!

I have used antique Albertina chains as the basis of a bracelet.The original bracelet has a heart suspended from a permanent loop, center bottom, through which there are 2 chains. I added more hearts:

From the bar hook that went through a button hole I placed 2 hearts, both engraved: Jack (my father’s name) and MAMA; a heart with an opal engraved “CHW,” a heart with a shamrock engraved, “Becky,” A heart with engraving I can’t make out, a heart with a turquoise, engraved RK, my husband’s initials.The fob hook attached to a ring at the base of the bar, leaving the hearts and tassel dangling.

The second Albertina bracelet, Locks and Keys, has a double chain linked with filigree stations, and again the fob is hooked through a ring at the base of the chain attached to the button bar. The locks and keys are mostly antique with some vintage. Several of the keys can still open the locks.

Starting with the red enamel lock, that opens with a spring ring, a gold watch key with number 5 on one side (my favorite number) and a flower on the other, a vintage lock with latch on side, a vintage key that says U & Me, a floral lock by the famous designer Walter Lampl, a vintage lock and key attached on a chain, a ring of vintage keys that spell my name, SUSAN, and 3 heart keys, an antique key and lock on a filigree station, a vintage floral enamel Walter Lampl lock engraved, Walford, an antique padlock, probably late 1800’s engraved ET to GT, an antique lock engraved BF, a vintage key and tag (If found, return to), a little skeleton key and a Walter Lampl spring padlock.