Large Diamond Brooch in the Shape of a Floral Bouquet, ca. 1880

Do you know the legendary fragrance "Quelques Fleurs" by Houbigant, launched in 1912 - the year in which the Titanic would make its first and last voyage? The fragrance caused quite a stir because it smelled like an entire bouquet, rather than being a soliflore, dedicated to a single flower. The art of jewellery, however, was ahead of perfumery: Here, the elegant effect of combined bouquets had been relied on long before. This is also proven by the present diamond brooch, which, according to its manufacture and design, was created in the years around 1880. In the center of the delicate bouquet shines a large dahlia with pointed petals. Behind it sparkle two small rosebuds, diamond forget-me-nots, and finally a spray of lily of the valley buds that tremble with every movement. A total of about 9.68 ct of cushion-shaped old-cut and rose-cut diamonds make the brooch shine in any light situation. The discovery of large diamond deposits in South Africa had made diamonds much more available at that time, and so rich diamond jewellery became an indispensable accessory to a successful evening. An upper side of silver lets the diamonds shine brightly; the underside of reddish gold leaves no dark traces on clothing. By means of a screw mechanism on the back, the mounting can be removed and the brooch disassembled into two parts. Presumably, the piece of jewellery once had additional mountings with which it could be worn as an aigrette in the hair. As a brooch, it was worn in front of the neckline of the ball gown, as a so-called devant-de-corsage. The brooch is wonderfully preserved and a picture book example of a precious evening jewellery of the Belle Époque. What lavish parties it must have been part of, we can only imagine...

Estimate:£16,045.73

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