Antique Pendant with Aquamarine & Diamonds by Court Jeweler J. H.

This exquisite pendant comes from the collection of one of Berlin’s most famous jewelers: Johannes Heinrich Werner. Werner operated his lavishly appointed store on the magnificent boulevard Unter den Linden, not far from the Berlin City Palace, and maintained a branch on Berlin’s Friedrichstraße. He had been a court jeweler since 1870, and so on the lid of the original case—lined with velvet and silk on the inside—we see the proud company name: “J.H. Werner / Court Jeweler to His Majesty the Emperor and King / J.M. of the Empress and Queen / Berlin W.,” beneath the German imperial crown. A large, natural aquamarine serves as the focal point of the design. The gemstone weighs approximately 36 carats and displays a uniform sky-blue hue. It is eye-clean, elaborately faceted, and reflects light from within. The aquamarine, cut into an elongated teardrop shape, is held in a understated white gold setting with a delicate milgrain border. Above the aquamarine sits a dainty bow, whose softly curving ribbons and trailing ends are set with old-cut and rose cut diamonds. A simple chain makes the piece of jewellery wearable. Antique catalogs and fashion magazines reveal the 1910s’ penchant for the simple clarity we see here: pieces of jewellery with delicate settings, featuring diamonds—often in geometric shapes—dominated the designs of pendants, brooches, and earrings. Alongside diamonds, aquamarines were among the most sought-after gemstones of the late Belle Époque. Their pastel hues harmonized perfectly with the women’s fashion of the time, and they displayed an astonishing brilliance under electric light, making them ideal companions for an era that was, for the first time, shaped by electric lighting. A delicate bow, set with additional diamonds, leads to the original white gold chain. With its impressive aquamarine, the delicate diamond bow, and the almost weightless white gold setting, the pendant tells the story of Berlin during the late imperial era, when the boulevard Unter den Linden served as both the setting and the stage for glamorous living, and when Berlin’s court jewelers helped shape the tastes of the social elite. This exceptionally beautifully crafted piece of jewellery came to us here in Berlin, the city where it was created some 110 years ago. An independent appraisal report accompanies the pendant.

Estimate:£12,724.46

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