Magnificent Bangle With 7.98 ct Diamonds & Moonstone, c. 1850 & later

The older a piece of jewellery is, the greater the likelihood that a former owner had it altered or personalized. Especially in past centuries, this was common practice, because precious stones were still more expensive, the world was not yet as interconnected as it is today, so that older pieces were repeatedly reworked and adapted to the taste of the time. Often heirlooms were also divided and reforged into several pieces. This bangle tells such a story. It begins long ago, in the years around 1850, when the diamond-set sweeps of the centerpiece were part of a magnificent bracelet. The bracelet probably supplemented the wide centerpiece with numerous diamond-set links. A bracelet of this type can be found, for example, in David Bennet and Daniela Mascetti: Understanding Jewellery, Woodbridge 2010, p. 93. In keeping with this period, the centerpiece is also set with cushion-shaped, almost rectangular old cut diamonds in the so-called old mine cut. There is no doubt that its original owner once wore the bracelet to balls, because only in the evening or at court was such festive diamond jewellery considered appropriate. What happened next, we do not know - the story is missing a few pages - but the next chapter we open in the 1920s. The narrow hoop, which still completes the centerpiece, dates from this time. We can date it roughly because of the diamond cuts and diamond-shaped settings that were new at the time, but the goldsmith was already using outdated techniques at that time, too. Instead of platinum, for example, the bangle is also made of silver and red gold, so that it is not at all recognizable to the naked eye as a later addition and blends in harmoniously. Perhaps the client shone afterwards in the nightlife of the Weimar Republic, or took the unique piece out to dinner. The hoop with historical showpiece may have been witness to her individual taste, and a penchant for nostalgia. The last chapter was written only recently: In our workshop we had the moonstone set. In its place previously sat two diamonds in modern settings, which had been inserted without any sense of form or flair. So we commissioned our goldsmith to restore the bangle to a noble and harmonious appearance so that it can be worn again. Thus, the magnificent hoop, set with 7.98 ct diamonds, tells of the twists and turns of history, of changes of ownership and changes of taste. It impressively demonstrates that the purpose of jewellery is to be worn, as it accompanies us in many important moments of our lives. Jewellery created in this way, such as this bangle, therefore finds no direct comparison in literature: It is as unique as its history and the people who wore it.

Estimate:£14,423.32

View all items fromHofer AntikschmuckorJewellery & Gems