Precious Diamonds & Aquamarine Bow as a Brooch & Necklace, c. 1910

More than six carats of diamonds in historic cuts sparkle in this large Belle Époque jewel. The diamonds, set in platinum, form a loosely tied bow that holds a movably attached aquamarine. Jewelry in the form of large bows was a great fashion of the Belle Époque. David Bennet and Daniela Mascetti: Understanding Jewellery, Woodbridge 2010, pp.278-284 show some selected examples, very similar to the present piece. The bows were usually worn as a brooch or as a devant-de-corsage, centered under the neckline. The ladies of the time liked the randomly draped, loose shapes of the bows, which were also reminiscent of the cheerful world of Marie Antoinette. Collecting bows and ribbons was a popular pastime, by the way, as they allowed you to redesign your existing wardrobe with little effort but great effect. In Zola's Au Bonheur des Dames from 1883, such ribbons are mentioned on an equal footing with other accessories such as gloves and ties: "Les dentelles à dix centimes, les rubans à vingt-cinq centimes, les jarretières à quinze, les gants, les jupons, les cravates, les bas de coton, disparaissaient comme engloutis par la foule." What makes this bow special, however, is that it can be worn not only as a brooch but also as a necklace! This is because it comes with a rose gold chain that can be hooked on and off at the back of the bow. This means that the bow can accompany you in different ways on numerous occasions - and add a great effect to your wardrobe. We discovered this piece of jewellery in Hanover. The option of wearing the brooch as a pendant was probably added at a later date. It is accompanied by an independent expert opinion from Idar-Oberstein on the quality of the materials.

Estimate:$14,596.58

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