Enchanting Star Pendant with Natural Pearls in Gold, British, c. 1900

Stars shining bright above you Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you" Birds singing in the sycamore trees Dream a little dream of me... This star is a piece of fashion history. Stars set with precious stones were popular pieces of jewelry in the second half of the 19th century. But what made the star so exciting for contemporaries? On the one hand, stars were an expression of the enthusiasm for the Orient at the time, with its preference for exotic and foreign cultures. On the other hand, the enthusiasm for star motifs was due to the Empress of Austria, who introduced the motif of diamond stars to Viennese society and turned them into immortal classics of jewelry history to this day. Probably the most famous portrait of Sisi, painted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, shows the young empress with a multitude of radiant diamond stars in her flowing dark hair, which were specially made for her by the Viennese court jeweler A. E. Köchert. After this portrait was published in the press, there was no stopping the ladies of Viennese society. Every woman who could afford it wanted to come into possession of at least one precious star. This piece of jewelry corresponds to this fashion. The star is set with 37 fine natural pearls and is made of warm, gleaming gold. It was created in Great Britain - and thus shows that fashion was already transnational in the 19th century. Apparently, the ladies of London society, just like the ladies of the Vienna Hofburg, succumbed to the ever-renewing reputation of cosmic beauty.

Estimate:$1,549.65

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