Elegant Art Nouveau Diamond and Platinum Brooch, c. 1905

It is the sweeping lines of the Art Nouveau ornament that lend the design of this brooch its dynamism. Lines sweeping in and out are reminiscent of plant tendrils and set a wonderful old-cut diamond of more than half a carat as the highlight. Further diamonds glisten along the curves. A total of around 0.57 ct of diamonds have been set in platinum on 14-karat gold, typical of the time. Brooches were worn differently at the turn of the century than we know them today. If the dress was high-necked, they adorned where a pendant or necklace would otherwise be. In 1899, the US magazine The Jeweler's Circular wrote: "With the more distinctly feminine mode of dressing the neck in soft silk, dainty embroideries and laces, which women are now rapidly adopting, the brooch becomes more than ever necessary." (My Lady's Jewel Box, in: The Jeweler's Circular, Feb. 1, 1899, p. 12.) This brooch, which was most probably made in Germany, proves that this fashion was also followed in Europe. It is beautifully preserved and came to us from Saxony.

Estimate:$1,661.13

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