Delicate Star Sapphire and Diamond Necklace in Platinum on Gold, c.

The great diamond discoveries in South Africa made diamond jewellery ubiquitous at the end of the 19th century. After a short time, heavy rivière necklaces and large diamond stars became a necessity for luxurious evening wear – so much so that their splendour could hardly be increased. Refined ladies and discerning gentlemen soon returned to the finesse and sophistication of design. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was quite common for as much attention to be paid to the delicacy of the design as to the preciousness of the stones. When we discovered this piece of jewellery with a damaged center stone, we could not help but purchase it anyway. The workmanship was too fine, the beautiful setting - which is actually so much more than just a setting - too tempting. So we decided to set a gemstone in it, whose radiance and preciousness underline the ethereal beauty of the pendant. We chose a large, natural sapphire with a sky-blue color that, on closer inspection, hides a surprise: it has a subtle asterism. Under certain incidences of light, a six-armed star of light glides across the surface of the cabochon. We had the untreated stone weighing 18.85 ct cut to size by our gemstone cutter and then had it set using the old technique with milgrains, thus preserving the historical character of the piece. The beautiful necklace comes with an independent appraisal.

Estimate:$20,190.8

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