Retired James Avery Solid 14K Gold Owl Cutout Charm Pendant with Box and Pouch

This retired James Avery solid 14K yellow gold owl charm reduces the bird to its essentials, and that is the whole appeal. The owl is rendered flat, with the entire design carried by shaped cutouts: two large round eyes pierced through the upper body, a small V beak between them, a squared opening at the belly, and tufted ears at the top corners.

The silhouette does the rest of the work. The outline steps in at the shoulders and flares back out through the body before finishing in a notched tail at the bottom, so the shape reads unmistakably as an owl even at this small size. The surface has a soft satin finish with polished edges, which keeps the piece from looking flat and gives the cutouts a clean bright outline wherever the light catches.

It is a graphic, almost mid-century approach to a classic motif, and it is exactly the kind of pared-down design work James Avery built a reputation on. This design is retired and no longer in production.

The 14K and JA Candelabra marks are clear on the back. It hangs from an uncut loop and comes with its James Avery box and pouch.

DETAILS
Metal: Solid 14K yellow gold
Hallmarks: 14K, JA Candelabra
Design: Flat cutout owl
Status: Retired
Loop: Uncut loop
Includes: James Avery box and pouch
Condition: Excellent estate condition

FUN FACTS
Owls have been symbols of wisdom since ancient Greece, where the little owl was the companion of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and appeared on Athenian coins for centuries.
James Avery began handcrafting jewelry in Kerrville, Texas in 1954, starting out in a two-car garage.