Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Rock Crystal Pendant, 1650-75

Pendant of Enameled Silver and Foiled Crystal Pendant
1650-1675
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This handsome pendant from the important collection of jewels amassed by Dame Joan Evans is composed of rock crystal triplets (two layers of stone with a layer of red-colored foil material between), rock crystal and glass.  The stones are set in enameled silver.

The piece was made in Western Europe between 1650 and 1675.  

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Putti Locket, 1570-1600

Memorial Locket with Cameo and Enamel Painting
Cameo:  1570, Setting: 1600
Germany
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the collection of Dame Joan Evans, we have this layered agate cameo which depicts two male busts. The cameo is set in gold and adorned with painted enamels and rubies. It’s believed that the cameo was made in Germany circa 1570 and was set into the gold mount around 1600. 

The reverse of the cameo has been painted with an enamel landscape which shows a skull and a putto blowing bubbles—a clear representation of the brevity of human life. Given this, it’s entirely possible that this was meant to serve as a memorial locket or, perhaps, a memento mori.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Coque de Perle Necklace, 1740

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This necklace of silver is set with coque de perle (snail shells) and diamonds with a pendant and a bow. Made in England between 1740-1760 by an unknown jeweler, the necklace showed the mid-Eighteenth-Century love for the natural by its use of the snail shells which were meant as a substitution for mother-of-pearl.

Later, this piece was acquired by Dame Joan Evans whose extensive collection of jewels was bequeathed to the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Aigrette, 1750-60

Aigrette
Portugal, 1750-60
From the Collection of Dame Joan Evans at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This aigrette of silver-set chrysoberyls was designed to resemble a swirling spray with a single flower on a feathered scrolling stem. Made by an unknown jeweler in Portugal between 1750 and 1760, this aigrette is from the collection of Dame Joan Evans.

An aigrette, in jewelry, is so-called because of its resemblance to the feathers and plumes atop the head of an egret. These jewels are often meant to be worn as a turban ornament.  

This intricate, sparkling volute, however, wasn't likely intended for a turban, but rather served double-duty as a hair ornament and brooch to be worn on a lady's bodice. 

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Filigree Necklace, 1825-30

Click Image to Enlarge
Necklace of Gold Mesh, chrysoprase, rubies and diamonds.
France, c. 1825
From the Collection of Dame Joan Evans
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the 1820s, gold was put to good use in a variety of new ways--mesh necklaces and bracelets, gold chain and wire work became the fashion. Colored golds also became quite popular.  Goldsmith experimented with colors.  For example:  in gold alloy more copper gives a redder gold, while extra zinc or zinc and silver will result in a pale yellow gold.

The technique of filigree with spirals and granules (cannetille and grainti) was revived in France then copied in England. While consumers appreciated the intricacy of the style, jewelers liked the economical nature of the designs which appeared to be weighty, but actually used less gold.  

From the important jewelry collection of Dame Joan Evans, we have this necklace with pendant of gold mesh and filigree with cannetille and grainti decoration.  Made in France between 1825 and 1830, it is set with chrysoprases, brilliant-cut diamonds and rubies.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Swiss Topaz Necklace, 1835

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Swiss Topaz Necklace, 1835

Necklace
Switzerland, c. 1835
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Beginning in the 1830s, the jewelry trade saw a greater consumer demand as more people were able to afford gems and jewels. Traditional techniques such as casting, chasing and engraving were still employed in the most high-end pieces, however, into the 1850s, newer industrial methods were used to make less expensive products for a growing mass market.

Here, we see a piece made for the mass market using machines.  This necklace was created by pressing the gold into the required shape using a die-stamping machine.  The flatted gold was rolled a machine into a very thin sheet which could be stamped to make multiple standard components. Even the collets were stamped on—allowing the setting of gemstones to be completed quicker.

After being assembled from pre-made pieces, the gold was enameled and set with pink-foiled topazes.  This necklace was made in Switzerland between 1835 and 1840.  It was once part of the impressive collection of jewels amassed by Dame Joan Evans.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Hull Grundy Bodice Ornament, c. 1650

Click image to see larger picture.
Hull Grundy Bodice Ornament
Spain, Seventeenth Century
The British Museum

This bodice ornament of gold is set with table-cut emeralds and diamonds. The upper section of the piece features an openwork design in a bow form incorporating foliate tendrils and volutes. This is hinged to a section which works the initial “S” in pierced openwork.

The reverse of the jewel is enameled in pink and black on a ground of white in a floral pattern.

At one point, this piece was in the collection of Dame Joan Evans, but ended up in the catalogue of the Hull Grundys who presented this as part of a large gift to the British Museum. It’s believed that the ornament has significance to a Spanish religious confraternity.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Hair Brooch, 1754

Memorial Brooch, 1754
From the Collection of Dame Joan Evans
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We’ve looked at many jewels which incorporated hair into the design. Though considered somewhat icky when viewed through modern eyes, this was a very normal, sentimental practice which rose to a new prominence in the Eighteenth Century (but one which had been carried out for many centuries before) and served as a way of keeping a piece of a loved one (either alive or deceased) close at hand at a time before photography.

The fact that such pieces survive to this day prove how special and important they were.

Here we see a brooch from the collection of Dame Joan Evans. The brooch is composed of a silver openwork bow, set with rose and brilliant-cut diamonds and pink sapphires over foil, and am enameled gold ribbon which is also set with gems and inscribed ELIZ EYTON OBIT FEB 1754 AET 81, surrounding a hair locket. The face of the locket is set with rock crystal. Made in 1754, this piece serves as a memorial and would have been worn as a reminder of the deceased. 

History's Runway: The Dame Joan Evans Rock Crystal Pendant, 1650-75

Pendant of Enameled Silver and Foiled Crystal Pendant
1650-1675
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Tomorrow, we'll be taking a delicious look at the "Treat of the Week," so, today, I thought we'd look at some tasty crystal pieces.

This handsome pendant from the important collection of jewels amassed by Dame Joan Evans is composed of rock crystal triplets (two layers of stone with a layer of red-colored foil material between), rock crystal and glass.  The stones are set in enameled silver.

The piece was made in Western Europe between 1650 and 1675.  

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Signet Ring, 1652

Signet Ring, 1652
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A carnelian intaglio forms the centerpiece of this signet ring which is part of the celebrated jewelry collection of Dame Joan Evans. This gold signet ring features an oval bezel with a decorative. scalloped edge. Crafted in England in 1652, the intaglio bears with the arms of the House of Rushe, engraved behind with a skull and inscribed “I/ R/ Obijt Sep. t/ 13th .52. etat.63.”

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Crystal Necklace, 1790-1805

This necklace of brilliant-cut rock crystals set in silver is backed with gold and decorated with leaf and bud pendants.  Originally, there would have been a central pendant which is now missing.

Part of the collection of Dame Joan Evans' jewelry in the V&A, this piece shows the love of nature thar was one of the most prevalent sentiments in Naturalism movement of the late Eighteenth to early Nineteenth  Century.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Order of Santiago, 18th C.

The Order of Santiago
From the Collection of Dame Joan Evans
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in the Eighteenth Century, this pendant badge represents the Order of Santiago. The spokes of the badge are set with white topaz in gold and the sword cross consists of lush garnets. 


From the collection of Dame Joan Evans, this badge is quite rare. The Order of Santiago is the senior of the four Spanish Military orders.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Emerald Pendant, c. 1700

Pendant of silver, parcel gilt, emeralds, rubies and diamonds.
Eighteenth Century, German.
From the collection of Dame Joan Evans.The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here's another masterpiece from the collection of Dame Joan Evans which is now housed at the V&A.  I'm mad for it.  I'm in love with the innate Eighteenth-Century-ness of it all, but especially the yummy central cabochon emerald.

A setting of silver and silver gilt, it is set with emeralds of assorted shapes and cuts, rubies and rose- and table-cut diamonds. The back is engraved with an intricate foliate pattern.

The central emerald is most likely later addition, replacing a different stone which may have been damaged. The pendant was made in Germany around 1700. 

Mastery of Design: The Chrysoprase Tiara, 1835

Tiara
Gold, Chrysoprase
England, 1825-1835
Given by Dame Joan Evans
The Victoria & Albert Museum

By the 1830’s, technology in a variety of areas was advancing quickly. The use of machines changed the way items were produced and allowed previously out-of-reach objects to be available to the middle classes. Those in the steadily-growing middle class looked to nobility and royalty as their barometers of style. In order to be truly fashionable, one yearned to duplicate the fashions of aristocrats without trying to ape them. Most important of all fashion was jewelry. Of course, Royalty and nobility had entire wardrobes of priceless jewelry at their disposal, but new technologies meant that the middle class could have similarly-styled (though more cheaply made) pieces at hand. Take this tiara for example.
This tiara would have been the envy of any middleclass lady who had spotted The Duchess of Cambridge or Princess Mary Adelaide at the theatre sporting a similar-looking model. What was the difference between this tiara and the one belonging to Her Serene Highness? Quality and time and materials. This tiara has been quickly manufactured by pressing the gold into shape using a steel die stamping machine, this by-passing the need for thick gold that required chasing and casting from an expert jeweler.

Reverse

Such pieces were made swiftly and with little fuss. First, flattened gold was rolled through machinery to create a very thin sheet which was then stamped to make multiple standard components. Even the prong settings for the gemstones could be stamped on, allowing for the “finish-work” to be completed in short order.

After the stamped sections of gold were polished, they were assembled and the piece was fitted with its gemstones. In this example, we see chrysoprase (a form of chalcedony) which, when viewed from a distance, mimicked the look of more impressive stones.

This desire for jewelry in the style of the nobility added additional business to the gem trade in Britain, and also changed the law forever. Because cheaper pieces were being produced for mass consumption, legislation was passed to ensure that jewelers were being honest about the quality of the gold they were selling. In 1854, three lower standards of gold alloys were legalized with the condition that the items being sold were advertised truthfully.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Micromosaic Brooch, 1820 - 1830

Brooch of silver and micromosaic
Rome, C. 1820
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the Nineteenth Century, works of micromosaic were most closely associated with Italian craftsmen.  Panels of these intricate mosaics were popular souvenirs brought back by travelers to Rome.

This brooch from the collection of Dame Joan Evans was made from such a panel which was brought from Rome to England.  The panel consists of minute pieces of colored glass arranged on a surface of mastic or cement using tweezers. Set in a silver-gilt filigree, the mosaic depicts a bird, possibly a pheasant. The silver-gilt resembles spirals of string string, almost like a bird’s nest.

Mastery of Design: The Grundy Bodice Ornament, c. 1650

Click image to see larger picture.
Hull Grundy Bodice Ornament
Spain, Seventeenth Century
The British Museum

This bodice ornament of gold is set with table-cut emeralds and diamonds. The upper section of the piece features an openwork design in a bow form incorporating foliate tendrils and volutes. This is hinged to a section which works the initial “S” in pierced openwork.

The reverse of the jewel is enameled in pink and black on a ground of white in a floral pattern.

At one point, this piece was in the collection of Dame Joan Evans, but ended up in the catalogue of Hull Grundy who presented this as part of a large gift to the British Museum. It’s believed that the ornament has significance to a Spanish religious confraternity.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Aigrette, 1750-60

Aigrette
Portugal, 1750-60
From the Collection of Dame Joan Evans at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This aigrette of silver-set chrysoberyls was designed to resemble a swirling spray with a single flower on a feathered scrolling stem. Made by an unknown jeweler in Portugal between 1750 and 1760, this aigrette is from the collection of Dame Joan Evans.

An aigrette, in jewelry, is so-called because of its resemblance to the feathers and plumes atop the head of an egret. These jewels are often meant to be worn as a turban ornament.  

This intricate, sparkling volute, however, wasn't likely intended for a turban, but rather served double-duty as a hair ornament and brooch to be worn on a lady's bodice.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Putti Locket, 1570-1600

Memorial Locket with Cameo and Enamel Painting
Cameo:  1570, Setting: 1600
Germany
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the collection of Dame Joan Evans, we have this layered agate cameo which depicts two male busts. The cameo is set in gold and adorned with painted enamels and rubies. It’s believed that the cameo was made in Germany circa 1570 and was set into the gold mount around 1600. 

The reverse of the cameo has been painted with an enamel landscape which shows a skull and a putto blowing bubbles—a clear representation of the brevity of human life. Given this, it’s entirely possible that this was meant to serve as a memorial locket or, perhaps, a memento mori.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Scent Flask, 1650-1700

Click image to enlarge.

Scent Flask
Europe, 1650-1700
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the collection of Dame Joan Evans, now at the Victoria & Albert Museum, we have this gold scent flask in the shape of a double gourd.

Made to hold fragrance, the flask was worn, suspended on a ribbon or chain, around the neck, allowing an olfactory distraction from the inevitable stink of any city in the late Seventeenth or early Eighteenth Centuries. The maker of the piece is unknown. We can only guess that it was made in Western Europe—based on stylistic cues. 

Gifts of Grandeur: The Dame Joan Evans Bow Pendant, 1630-60

Bow Pendant
1630-1660
Dame Joan Evans Collection from
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This enameled gold pendant, from the important jewel collection of Dame Joan Evans, takes the form of a bow. This piece was once part of a rather substantial necklace which was part of a lovely parure which included a matching bracelet. The pendant is set with rubies and hung with a pearl. The reverse of the piece is adorned with enamel flowers. It was made in Europe between 1630 and 1660.