An elegant touch

Charming Art Nouveau necklace with peridots & Mississippi pearls in gold, USA circa 1900

€ 2,790.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Charming Art Nouveau necklace with peridots & Mississippi pearls in gold, USA circa 1900

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

What a wonderful summer the June of 1900 was! The birds in Central Park sang like never before, a light breeze caressed the strollers on Fifth Avenue, and the sweet scent of roses drifted through the streets of the flourishing metropolis. Business was booming and the gazettes on Park Row reported daily news that promised a rosy future. It was certainly not just one young, beautiful girl who received a delicate gift from her sweetheart that year. Perhaps on a trip to Coney Island, perhaps on a stroll along elegant Park Avenue - this Art Nouveau necklace in yellow gold could have been such a gift from those years. The delicate chain has an elegant pendant at its center, decorated with gracefully intertwined flowers in typical Art Nouveau shapes - a style that conquered the world from Paris. The period loved the play of delicate jewelry details that moved with every movement of the body. Further chains are attached around the pendant, allowing the necklace to cascade down towards the center. Six lime green peridots and four natural pearls enliven the piece of jewelry with their bright play of colors. The slightly baroque shape of the pearls reveals that they are natural river pearls. The Mississippi River in particular was a rich source of these rare treasures at the turn of the 20th century. The hallmark and the workmanship indicate that the necklace was made in the USA. It is in first-class condition - a reminder of carefree days and still makes a wonderful gift today!

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The rivers and streams of North America are a particularly valuable source of high-quality freshwater pearls. In pre-colonial times, these waters were literally covered with mussel beds. Even though the development of the previously sparsely populated areas and subsequent industrialization have decimated the deposits considerably, the Mississippi river system in the south-east of the USA is still rich in mussels and pearls. Legend has it that the American river pearl was first discovered for jewelry making in 1857: shoemaker David Howell, penniless and without orders, tried to eat some of the freshwater mussels in his distress - probably an act of desperation, as these mussels are still not eaten in the USA today. But as soon as he opened the first mussel, the most beautiful pearls fell towards him. The very next day, together with his friend Jacob Quackenbush, he discovered a pink pearl with a diameter of 15 mm, which he was able to sell to Tiffany's for 1,500 dollars. The pearl eventually ended up with the French Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III, via a European dealer. In 1917, its value was estimated at 10,000 dollars! Due to environmental pollution, river mussels are rarer today than they used to be. Nevertheless, pearls of outstanding quality are still found today in many colors and shapes - from perfectly round pearls to winged pearls to the most bizarre baroque shapes.

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Size & Details

An elegant touch

€ 2,790.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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An elegant touch

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