Contemporary Necklace with Diamonds and Coloured Gemstones, Italy, c. 2010

A zest for life shines through in this colorful necklace. The design features twelve large, colorful gemstones strung together in sparkling settings. Each stone is surrounded by an entourage of smaller, colorful gemstones. Clasps set with white diamonds tie the individual elements together. Vibrant, orange-yellow citrines are set in frames of brown diamonds, green sapphires, and red rubies. Luminous blue topazes are framed by pink and green sapphires. The deep violet of two amethysts comes to life beautifully in settings of blue sapphires and rubies, respectively. A smoky topaz is framed by pink sapphires, and two lemon quartz stones are surrounded by pink and green sapphires. The necklace itself is crafted from high-karat white gold. The settings for the pink and blue sapphires, the brown diamonds, and the rubies are additionally rhodium-plated in black; the settings for the green sapphires are gold-plated in yellow to further enhance the colours of the sparkling settings. Even though, at first glance, all these colours together may seem like a lot, the combination works beautifully. It is rich and colourful, yet not haphazard, and very harmonious in itself. This necklace, which sits close to the neck, is a summery, cheerful greeting from Italy. Unfortunately, it is not signed, but the high-quality craftsmanship suggests that it was crafted in one of the northern Italian workshops that also produce pieces for major European jewelry houses. It was likely created shortly after the turn of the millennium, when jewellery featuring densely set stones mounted in dark rhodium-plated white gold became all the rage. We were able to acquire it as part of a collection of high-quality modern pieces of jewellery in northern Italy.

Estimate:$17,970.21

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