Antique Diamond Pendant-Brooch of the Belle Époque, c. 1900

"Heart-shaped jewelry is found everywhere. Pendants and brooches more often than not are heart-shaped, and no expense is too great to lavish on them", one read in the spring of 1890. From the 1880s onwards, heart-shaped pieces of jewellery were an integral part of the offerings of metropolitan jewellers. This piece of jewellery, created around 1900s, also pays homage to the heart shape - but abstracts it with asymmetrical, Art Nouveau-inspired tendrils. A total of around 3.71 ct of old-cut diamonds adorn each tendril. Some are mounted as highlights in prong settings, as if floating freely. In the center of the design, the largest diamond alone weighs around 0.77 ct. To make the precious jewel wearable as often as possible, it has been fitted with both a pin and a bail and can be worn as a brooch or pendant. The piece was crafted from platinum on gold using the usual technique of the time. In later years, it was rhodium-plated to create a uniform white overall appearance, which was more in keeping with contemporary tastes from the mid-20th century. We were able to discover the precious piece in Hamburg. The quote from [Anon, after The Manufacturing Jeweler]: 'The Latest Fads and Fancies', The Trader & Canadian Jeweller, May 1890, p. 27.

Estimate:$7,781.71

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