Antique Pendant with Amethysts & Pearls in Gold, Great Britain, c. 1910

“The studio was filled with the rich scent of roses, and when the light summer breeze stirred among the trees in the garden, the heavy scent of lilacs or the more delicate fragrance of the pink-flowering rosebush drifted in through the open door.” – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1890. The heavy scent of lilacs opens Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray—the book that took the opulent aestheticism of the turn of the century to its extreme. That same sense of beauty, of subtle moods and refined elegance, prevailed well into the early years of the 20th century—in literature, in fashion, and in jewellery. The pendant presented here dates from this era. Delicate, curving gold ornaments, richly set with natural pearls and polished to a brilliant sheen, form a composition that appears as opulent as it is light and airy. Two amethysts in a deep, rich lilac color lend the piece its mysterious character: a round stone is set within pearl ornaments, while an oval one sways gently beneath it. This beautiful piece of jewellery was crafted in the United Kingdom. We discovered it, along with its sturdy cord necklace, in the south of England.

Estimate:£1,081.7

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