Antique Negligé Necklace with Diamonds and Pearls, c. 1910

This piece of jewellery hails from the elegant era captured by Giovanni Boldini or John Singer Sargent in their portraits of refined society ladies: draped Parisian silk dresses by House of Worth or Callot Soeurs; a hint of rose fragrance from a crystal flacon; powder applied with swansdown; jewels of pearls and diamonds for the evening. The so-called negligé necklace with its pendants of uneven length, reminiscent of the ends of a bow tied around the neck, was a typical form of jewellery of the Belle Époque. Here, two elegant Art Nouveau-inspired lines on the left and right lead to a wreath of diamonds with a third-carat old-cut diamond in the center. It is movably mounted so that it can catch the light and reflect it back in sparkling brilliance. The pendants, which have concealed joints, nestle softly against the décolleté and each display a drop-shaped pearl. The special thing about the pearls is that they have a slightly rosy color and differ in subtle nuances: One is slightly cooler and more lilac in color, while the other is slightly warmer, more creamy tinted. In this way, they complement the cool look of the necklace to create an elegant triad of wintery colors. We were able to discover this beautiful piece of jewellery in Cologne. It is in very good condition. Only the pearls and their settings have been replaced recently.

Estimate:£2,244.35

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