Delicate Pendant with Turquoises & Diamonds, England, c. 1910

In this delicate pendant, two stylized snowdrops form a curved frame set with rose cut diamonds. The pendant is crafted in silver on a gold base and features two teardrop-shaped turquoises set one below the other as the centerpiece of its light composition. Snowdrops are among the first flowers of the year. Often breaking through snow and ice, they were therefore regarded in Victorian floral symbolism as symbols of hope, new beginnings, and optimism. They are paired here with two Persian turquoises, which have been regarded for centuries as the most luxurious of their kind. They originate from the famous mines of Nishapur in the northeast of present-day Iran, whose deposits were already known in ancient times. No other source enjoyed a comparable reputation. The stones’ pure, intense sky-blue color—which remained largely free of dark matrix veins—was particularly prized and ultimately even gave rise to the term “turquoise blue.” The gemstones owe their name to the trade routes along which they reached Europe via the territory of present-day Turkey. In Victorian England, turquoise was associated with the sky-blue flowers of the forget-me-not. In what is known as gem lore, it was regarded as the stone of loving remembrance, fidelity, and happy reunions. Together with snowdrops, this gives rise to a subtle symbolism: hope is linked to loving remembrance, and a new beginning to the longing for a soon-to-come reunion. It is good to think that the pendant was once given as a token of love, perhaps as a farewell between two people with the silent promise to see each other again soon. This pendant from Edwardian England is a beautiful example of the delicate jewelry designs of the period shortly after 1900, when precious materials were crafted into light, openwork compositions of great elegance. This delicate pendant came to us from London, where it was most likely also crafted.

Estimation:€1,190

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