Antique Pendant Brooch With Baroque Pearl, Sapphires & Diamonds, ca. 1910

Lightness and sophistication were the aesthetic ideals of the Belle Époque, the vivacious years between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the First World War. Diamonds shone starry bright in platinum, accompanied by white pearls and pastel-coloured stones. Motifs such as garlands, flowers and bows - borrowed from the cheerful neoclassicism of Marie Antoinette's time - were combined to create ever new jewellery creations. In the new electric light, the nobility and industrialists of the evening had many opportunities to show off fine jewellery. The present piece is a jewel from that period and is indebted to that very style, the so-called Garland Style. It is an unusual piece with dual use. Unscrewing its brooch reveals two narrow bands beneath which a velvet or silk ribbon can be threaded. With the help of the chosen ribbon, the jewellery piece can then be worn as a slider pendant. Chokers, so-called colliers de chien, were extremely popular around 1910 and, like updos, drew attention to the neck and shoulder area. At the center of our jewel is a large, baroque natural pearl with a silky luster. It is surrounded by a band of calibrated sapphires and diamonds. Four loose ribbon motifs close the four corners, the spaces in between are filled with fine flower and leaf motifs. Typical of jewellery of the period is the airy openwork design which, for all its splendor, maintains the impression of lightness. The meticulous workmanship further enhances this impression. A rare, finely crafted jewel that breathes the spirit of its time in every respect.

Estimate:$14,576

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