Delicate Antique Necklace with Diamonds in Platinum & Gold, c. 1910

Jewellery in an elegant, cool white—that had been the dream of jewellery designers since the late 19th century. The catalyst was the discovery of rich diamond deposits in South Africa in the late 1860s. The tricky question, however, was which metal to use. At first, only silver was available for creating white jewellery, but the metal tarnishes and can leave stains on skin and clothing. Nevertheless, silver remained the standard metal for diamond jewellery throughout the 19th century. Previously used only sporadically, platinum began to be used more regularly c. 1900. Since platinum was extremely precious and difficult to work with, designs made entirely of platinum remained rare. Much more commonly, pieces of jewellery were crafted from gold, onto which a thin platinum facing was rolled. This allowed the piece of jewellery to still shine with a white, bright luster. The necklace presented here is a beautiful example of this. A platinum facing has been applied to a yellow gold body. A small diamond in a bezel setting marks the beginning and serves as the connection to the delicate chain. Suspended from this is a bar covered in polished platinum, and attached to it is a sparkling diamond serving as the piece of jewellery’s center stone. This diamond, an “Old European Cut” stone weighing approximately 0.68 ct, is elegantly framed by a shadow line. This type of necklace was extraordinarily popular in Central European countries during the first decades after 1900 and was repeatedly reimagined in numerous variations. People loved the delicate, refined appearance that resulted from the clean design. With its understated design, the necklace can still be worn on many occasions today.

Estimate:£2,686.12

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