Research and Serendipity

Hidden Stories and Historical Detective Work 

s art historians specialized in antique jewellery, our procedure often resembles detective work. Antique pieces more often than not lack identifying hallmarks and maker's marks – and even if they don't, there remains the question of authenticity. Furthermore, components can be married, pieces can have been altered or even faked. Overall, an inquisitive look at the piece itself must be the starting point from which we can begin to deduce those things that interest us, and that separate the art historian's work from the gemologist's: when and where was a piece made, who made it, who wore it, for what purpose and for what occasion?

Not too long ago, I had a particularly fine piece on my desk, waiting to have its story coaxed from out of its high quality materials and elegant composition. It was a pendant-brooch featuring two large Colombian emeralds, mounted in gold bezels within a delicate frame of diamond-set and platinum-topped gold. The only hallmark it bore was the typical '585' fineness mark, which indicates a German origin from the late 1880s onwards. The pendant's appearance was concordant with both the German origin and time frame.

The first impression the piece gave me was that of being a jewel for evening wear, made during the first decade of the twentieth century. While the use of very fine gemstones in platinum marked it as a so-called Juwelenschmuck for the evening, its general composition loudly announced Belle Époque – the period between the late 19th century and the outbreak of WWI in 1914. The V-shape this piece showcases is loosely based upon the sevigné pendants of the 18th century, a highly popular reference during the Belle Époque. The use of knife wires – wires that look razor-thin from above, and mounted on which diamonds almost appear to float – had been in fashion since the 1870s and remained so well into the 1910s. Under a loupe, the diamond cuts, millegraining and platinum-on-gold technique also confirmed that the piece was authentic to the Belle Époque.

Now I was to put a more specific date on the piece. Certain things had already told me it likely did not date prior to 1900. Firstly, there were the materials: the use of platinum and round old European cuts even for the smaller diamonds, whereas 1890s pieces often still feature cushion-shaped old mine cuts, especially for the smaller stones.

Secondly, the distinct Art Nouveau influence to the topmost swirls told me the piece was likely to date later than 1900. Originally being somewhat subversive in nature, Art Nouveau shapes first appeared in plain, occasionally gem-set silver and gold jewellery during the very late 1890s, and only became popular in expensive platinum and diamond evening jewels a few years into the 20th century. For if one invested a small fortune in a jewel, it was supposed to remain wearable for a few years at the very least – and during the initial years of Art Nouveau, it was not yet a safe investment. When the style remained popular during the first few years of the 1900s, this confirmed to jewellers and buyers that it was reasonable to expend large sums on evening jewels with an Art Nouveau influence.

A Serendipitous Find 

In my opinion, the intricacies of coaxing all sorts of information from antique jewels cannot be learnt from the study of modern books alone – to me, the most valuable sources are trade periodicals and old jewellery catalogues, which allow me to dig even deeper. Such sources allow us to trace trends, tendencies and innovations first-hand: not only by period, nor by decade, but sometimes even by year. Together with the countless pieces that pass through our hands at Hofer Antikschmuck, the close study of catalogues and periodicals has helped me tremendously to refine my knowledge.

Therefore, to aid our understanding of jewellery, we often add rare old catalogues and periodicals to our in-house library. Among them, one of my favourite sources is the Deutsche Goldschmiede-Zeitung (DGZ), the German goldsmith's magazine, which is richly illustrated and supplied with articles on jewellery fashion. One day, I was browsing the pages of the 1910 volume when I came across a black-and-white photograph of a piece that seemed very familiar... It was a pendant by Heinrich Rose, court jeweller in Schwerin. 

The photographs in this issue of the DGZ were supposed to be representative of the works of makers of various larger German cities, and Rose likely sent in photographs of two of his most significant recent works.¹

The emerald jewel I had listed some months ago was now already with its new owner, but luckily, we kept detailed photos. Excited, I opened them. And indeed – the piece pictured in the DGZ was not merely of the same design, but identical! The lower portion of the upper emerald's golden bezel showed a slight irregularity that is present in the photo, too: such is the beauty of handcrafted pieces.

Now, what mildly irritated me at first was the date: 1910. We can  safely assume that at the time of publication, the emerald pendant was fairly recent. Why that irritated me? The thicker Art Nouveau-leaning curves at the top are stylistically more indicative of a date closer to 1905; by 1910, the most modern German pieces were even more delicate and abstract, filling their outlines with a multitude of the finest lace-like platinum wires. However, being made by a court jeweller, it made sense: for one thing, jewels created in the vicinity of the European courts have always been slightly more conservative. But even more importantly, the prestigious value of the emeralds demanded a design that was fashionable yet not too avant-garde.