Elegant Necklace with a Classicist Diamond Bow & Pearls, c. 1780 & Later

A sparkling bow is the centerpiece of this necklace. Forty-one softly shimmering diamonds are set closely together in silver, forming this elegant showpiece. At its center sits a larger diamond of c. 0.40 ct in a Peruvian cut—an early form of the brilliant cut with a rectangular base. Below the bow is a large, gray-shimmering pearl. It is a seedless South Sea pearl, most likely a cultured South Sea pearl from Australia. At the top of the bow, on the right and left, a delicate gold chain holds the bow in place. The anchor-pattern chain is interrupted at regular intervals, holding additional smaller pearls at these points. The elements of the necklace complement each other so well that only a close look at the details reveals that the necklace was by no means created in a single moment, but rather consists of elements from different eras. The bow with the antique diamonds was created around 1780. Its design is neoclassical, austere, and symmetrical, and the silverwork is typical of late 18th-century jewellery. The gold chain with the small pearls is a piece of jewellery from the early 20th century. And finally, the large pearl was most likely created toward the end of the 20th century, during the era of cultured pearl production in Australia. But when did the individual elements come together to form a necklace? Perhaps this happened gradually, and the family-owned bow was first assembled into a necklace around 1920 and later supplemented with the pearl. Interestingly, the bow bears hallmarks on its edge indicating that it was imported to Sweden after 1912. The chain, however, bears a German hallmark. Perhaps that is why the elements were only combined in more recent times. We discovered the necklace, just as it is, in Lower Saxony. It is very good. An independent appraisal of the large pearl is included with the necklace.

Estimate:£2,454.85

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