Wonderful Antique Pearl Sautoir With Diamonds in Gold & Silver, ca. 1905

Two types of necklace dominated European fashion in the years around 1900 until the outbreak of the First World War: on the one hand, the "Collier de Chien", i.e. a wide chain that fits very tightly around the neck, which, with a low-cut décolleté, extends the elegant proportions of the neck, and on the other hand, the "Sautoir", i.e. a particularly long, free-moving chain that was intended to emphasise the grace and elegance of its wearer. We see such a sautoir made of natural oriental pearls and diamonds here. Gentle, soft, delicate and a little otherworldly - to describe the early 20th century sautoir here, to do justice to its impression, it is difficult to find the right words. Many thousands of small natural pearls, strung in six rows, form parallel strands held together by diamond-set bars at regular intervals. At the end of the pearl strands, a tulip forged from gold and silver with further diamonds binds the movement of the design together. The highlight and finale of the necklace is a precious tassel of pearls. A total of 163 rose cut diamonds are set, adding a soft sparkle to the shimmer of the pearls. Pearl sautoirs like this one are worn hanging down in front of the chest, or loosely knotted or doubled around the neck. With its white colour tone, it almost looks as if moonlight has been caught in a fine silk scarf. Due to its design and fine workmanship, our sautoir can be dated with certainty to the years around 1905, cf. also on the decoration and dating of the piece David Bennett/Daniela Mascetti: Understanding Jewellery, Woodbridge 2010, pp. 270 f. and p. 275.

Estimate:£6,702

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