Pendeloque

Resplendent Earrings with 5.69 ct Old Mine Cut Diamonds in Silver, c. 1875

€ 11,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Resplendent Earrings with 5.69 ct Old Mine Cut Diamonds in Silver, c. 1875

Description

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

With the discovery of diamond deposits in South Africa in 1869, diamonds became available in large quantities for the first time in history. As a logical consequence, jewellery made entirely of diamonds became the focus of jewellery designers. Due to the high material value of the new pieces, preference was given to proven, historical designs that were slightly modified to suit the latest tastes and craftsmanship techniques, but remained classic in essence. The 18th century in particular provided inspiration for rich diamond jewels. This pair of earrings corresponds to the type of pendeloque earrings that came into fashion at the end of the 18th century: they are characterized by a loop motif with a pendulum suspended below. At the time, however, only a small aristocratic upper class could wear such pieces. In the 1820s, this type was also very popular among upper middle-class women, but was almost always made of gold and semi-precious stones. It was not until the 1870s that diamond jewelry became the focus of attention outside of very small courtly circles: this magnificent pair is a result of this development. Around 5.69 ct of diamonds in the historic, slightly cushion-shaped old cut, the so-called old mine cut, sparkle in silver. Such a wealth of diamonds would hardly have been conceivable outside the great courts a mere generation earlier. As was customary at the time, the diamonds are of mixed quality and individual proportions, each of which is geared towards the highest possible brilliance of the individual stone. The ornamentation of the earrings, like their basic shape, is borrowed from the Rococo period. Delicate, openwork tendrils form large loops and frames. The pendulum is movably mounted under the bows, and the middle section of the pendulum is movable in the bows, so that the earrings swing elegantly on the ear. The resulting movement allows the diamonds to catch the light particularly effectively and refract it fierily. The dating of these magnificent earrings to around 1875 is supported not only by the design, the rich use of diamonds and their cuts, but also by their "à jour" setting. See, for example, a drawing of the design by Mellerio in Daniela Mascetti/Amanda Triossi: Earrings from Antiquity to the Present (London: Rizzoli, 1990), p. 118.

Size & Details

Pendeloque

€ 11,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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Pendeloque

Earrings

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