Artful Platinum Pendant with Articulated Natural Pearls, circa 1910

"One also wears very fine thin platinum necklaces with a large pendant. The characteristic shape of the pendants is usually round and in part quite large and always openworked," wrote the Deutsche Goldschmiede-Zeitung in 1910 in a "Fashion Report from Monte-Carlo" (DGZ 17, 1910, p. 145). Here, on the elegant boulevards of the Azur coast, bohemians and nobility alike spent carefree days and wore the latest jewellery creations. These large, round pendants were called "plaques" and they were made in numerous variations. The pendant here is of this type and is particularly subtle, as the natural pearls attached in recessed rounds are mounted for movement. Since the pendant does not lie completely flat against the skin when worn, the pearls can develop a slight play even when worn. Shimmering rose diamonds occupy the entire visible surface of the frame. The jewel is of particularly fine quality, revealing the artistry and high craftsmanship of its time. We discovered the pendant in Miami, but it was probably made in Germany or France. We reproduce a comparable piece by a Leipzig jeweller published in the Deutsche Goldschmiede-Zeitung in 1910. The fine chain was added by us but comes from the same period.

Estimate:£5,512.8

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