Fine Negligé Necklace with Diamonds in Platinum, c. 1910

In the early 20th century, a new form of necklace conquered Europe within a short space of time: the so-called lavallière, also known as the negligé necklace. Two pendulums of different lengths are attached to a decorative element and form the showpiece of the necklace. This negligee necklace is unusual in that it is adorned with naturalistic leaf ornaments that are finely textured. Even the pendulums, on which the lower diamonds swing, have a leaf structure. The diamonds are also unusual. Not only are the two lower ones of a natural champagne color - they also do not have the most modern cuts at the time the necklace was created. They appear to have been cut as early as the mid-19th century and were probably taken from an heirloom that had become unfashionable: not an uncommon procedure at the time. When we discovered the necklace, it had been reworked into a larger piece of jewellery together with another pendant. We carefully restored it and returned it to the condition in which it would have been worn around 1910.

Estimate:£2,160.91

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