Antique Gold Necklace with Aquamarines, Natural Pearls, and Spinels, c. 1900

This extraordinary necklace c. 1900 comes to life through the interplay of colour, light, and movement. At its center is a heart-shaped aquamarine weighing c. 6.20 ct, whose cool, transparent blue is framed by 17 intensely rose-red natural spinels. The stones, cut to fit the contours of the gold setting, follow the outline of the aquamarine like a luminous border and cradle the light-blue heart as if on a red cushion. A movably mounted natural pearl forms the lower edge. At the top, the heart is connected via two delicate chains—adorned with additional natural pearls—to a second, cushion-shaped aquamarine weighing c. 0.80 ct. The result is a light, fluid composition in which the sky-blue of the aquamarines, the vibrant pink of the spinels, and the silky luster of the seven natural pearls are effectively set against one another. In addition to its color palette, the necklace is also modern in its construction—a creation from the early 20th century: Heavy settings have been replaced by an open, flexible design in which the gemstones themselves define the shape. The heart shape still retains the sentimental symbolism of the 19th century, yet appears here in a new, surprisingly modern color combination. Thus, the necklace—which is presumably of British origin—is emblematic of that era on the threshold of the 20th century, when Victorian romanticism and the new lightness of Edwardian jewellery converged. An almost poetic, yet certainly vividly colored jewel that came to us from London.

Estimate:$4,464.48

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