Antique Gold Brooch with Bohemian Garnets & Pearls, c. 1845

The formal language of early Victorian jewellery is often based on Rococo and Baroque models, but adapted to suit contemporary tastes. This brooch from the 1840s also draws inspiration from the 18th century, with its voluminous C-sweeps and volutes. However, the colour combination of polished gold surfaces, red garnets, and delicate white pearls makes it a typical product of its time, as do the three decorative pendulums below the brooch, which are suspended from small chains. Brooches with pendulous suspensions on fine chains are typical pieces of jewellery from that period. Around 1848, German court jeweller Friedrich Roediger (1818–1881), the founder of the bijouterie factory of the same name, created an entire series of such designs, which have survived to this day in the Hanau Drawing Academy (see last illustration). This type of brooch was worn in the centre of the décolletage and can hardly be overlooked in any portrait of a lady from the era. This brooch is made using a detailed foam gold technique. Thinly rolled sheet gold, usually with a fineness of 14 carats, is pressed into shape with steel models and then often filled with resin for stabilisation after assembly. This method made it possible to create voluminous, large pieces of jewellery that required little material to create their effect. In the centre of the brooch, a curved leaf of silver-set Bohemian garnets sparkles in deep red, together with six natural pearls that add bright splashes of colour. The illustration from Brigitte Marquardt: Schmuck. Klassizismus und Biedermeier, 1780–1850, Munich 1983, p. 248. Further comparative pieces can be found on pp. 240 and 246.

Estimate:$887.13

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