Precious Drop Necklace With Natural Pearl & Diamonds, c. 1920 & later

"Which was the first precious stone that fascinated man? Possibly the pearl, in that its beauty was at once manifest when the mollusc was opened, for it needed neither to be cut nor polished, and its discovery was probably incidental to search for food." – Francis Stopford:The Romance of the Jewel, London 1920. The pearl and the diamond were long valued equally in the history of jewellery. Until the early 20th century, each pearl had to be dived for individually. However, the vast majority of mussels did not have pearls – mother-of-pearl buttons were cut from their shells. But if an oyster contained a pearl, the joy was all the greater, as these were extremely valuable due to their rarity. Beautiful, large pearls were particularly rare. These were often chosen as the centerpiece of fine pieces of jewellery. This pearl is one such gem from the era of pearl diving, a few years before cultured pearls conquered the market. The large, precious pearl weighs around 9.50 ct and has a baroque pear shape. Its original, perfectly fitting white gold setting is set with three old European cut diamonds. The setting was created around 1920. In the second half of the 20th century, the narrow, articulated string of diamonds was added above the pearl. This later addition matches the antique setting perfectly in terms of format and hue; its later creation is only visible under a magnifying glass thanks to the brilliant cuts and workmanship. This is how the rare, large pearl became the centerpiece of a delicate necklace.

Estimate:£8,655.69

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