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.  

Masterpiece of the Day: The Falize Cloisonné Necklace, 1867

Enamel Necklace
In the Japanese Style
Alexis Falize
France, 1867
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the 1860’s, Parisian jewelers became enamored of the Japanese style and tried to replicate Asian enamels. Prior to the 1850s, and since the 1820’s, Japanese style was barely recognized in Paris. However, the Japanese Court at the London Exhibition of 1862 and similar displays at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867 caused quite a stir amongst the artistic community. Designers of all types were inspired by what they had seen.

This is a great example of the intricate technique of costly cloisonné enamel wherein the precise outlines of the design are the result of the tiny 'cloisons' or cells that hold the enamel and which have to be individually shaped from thin gold strips. The flower and bird motifs that we see in this 1867 example by Alexis Falize (1811-1898) are taken from Japanese prints, although the vibrant shades show the influence of Chinese work. The necklace of cloisonné enamel and gold shows Alexis Falize’s expert eye as well as the skill of Falize’s chief enameller, Antoine Tard. The circlet is made up of ten long panels of enameled gold which are punctuated with gold rosettes. Five circular pendants hang from the lower edge of the piece. 

History's Runway: An Enamel and Ruby Bow, circa 1600

Bow
Enamel, Rubies, Pearl, Gold
1600-1660
The Victoria and Albert Museum

Little is known about this beautiful little bow. It was made somewhere in Europe between 1600 and 1660. A masterpiece of enamel work, the bow is beautiful from both sides. The front of the piece is set with sparking rubies in gold mounts while the reverse is hand-painted with enamel flowers.

Throughout its life the bow has been worn as both a pendant and a brooch. The dangling pearl at the bottom may be a later addition. 

After a Fashion: An Enamel and Diamond Necklace 1660-1900

Enamel and Diamond Bow Necklace
with Pearls and a Large Sapphire Drop
1660-1900
Western Europe
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This necklace was over two hundred years in the making. The centerpiece of the gorgeous work is a bow of turquoise, opaque enamel, set with diamonds. This was made in Western Europe around 1660 and was acquired by Lady Alma-Tameda. This enamel and diamond brooch was adapted into a necklace in 1800. The chain consists of alternating enamel bows of white, black and blue, backed in yellow gold. Near 1900, the pearl and large sapphire drop was added to the central bow along with two mounted enamel pieces in a floral design.


The floral pieces, as well as the necklace as a whole, insist on maintaining an organic feel. Therefore, the sapphire drop mimics the natural shape of the Baroque pearls and the diamonds—even the later additions—are table-cut so as to rely on their own inherent sparkle as opposed to overworked faceting.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Hat Badge with St. George and the Dragon, 1520

Hat Badge
English, 1520
The Royal Collection

St. George has long been emblematic of Britain and his figure has graced many an important work of art from jewelry to painting. Here, we have a high-relief figure of St. George on horseback as he slays that eternally troublesome the dragon. St. George, as he usually does, holds aloft a sword with a seed-pearl handle. The saint’s armor is adorned with a pattern of crimped gold ribbons. The same pattern is repeated on the translucent red enamel of the horse's caparison. The background shows a walled town in opaque white and blue enamel. George is not the only figure in the scene. To his right is a Princess, kneeling in prayer. The whole of the scene is mounted in a raised frame with scale-like ornament in black enamel and gold and is meant to be worn as a hat badge.


The reverse of this badge which dates to 1520 features an arabesque-style ornament of the same crimped gold ribbons which are inset with stylized gold rosettes on a translucent green enamel.

This is part of a suite of small gold and enamel reliefs (émail en ronde bosse), made by the same workshop. The exact identity of the workshop is uncertain and theories about its location range from Spain and southern Germany to the Danube region.

The oddest thing about this hat badge is the unusual representation of St. George. In usual iconography, St George is represented as a young beardless knight with helmet. However, here St. George is shown with a full beard and curly hair.

How the badge came to be entered in the Royal Collection is unknown, however, it is exactly the type of jewel that shop-a-holic King George IV liked to purchase. It’s thought to have been acquired from Rundell, Bridge & Rundell (the Royal goldsmiths from 1797 to 1840). When one looks back at the historic log of inventories of the Collection, one can see an entry that states the existence of a “curious ancient enamelled Badge of the Garter, in glass case” listed in an inventory of jewels at Windsor Castle in 1830. Most likely, that refers to this particular jewel. 

Unusual Artifacts: A Crystal Memorial Slide, 1700

Memorial Slide, 1700
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Though rather unsettling at first, this gold slide with an enameled skeleton holding an arrow is quite attractive. Within the slide, the initials “IC” are shown on a background of hair under rock crystal. The reverse is engraved, “IC OBT 6 JUL AETA 3 YE 8 MO.”


This is the perfect example of a Seventeenth Century commemorative memorial jewel. Such memorial jewels were a staple of the Eighteenth Century in more romantic forms, but these early examples take a more realistic look at death. Imagery such as skeletons, skulls and winged hourglasses were frequently used for such jewelry and hair from the deceased was almost always incorporated.

From the inscription on the reverse, which is partially in Latin, we can see that it was made in memory of a child with the initials “IC” who had died on the 6th of July (in an unknown year) who was aged three years and 8 months.

The slide is fitted with two flat loops at the back through which a ribbon of silk or woven hair would be threaded, enabling it to be worn around the neck or wrist.

Mastery of Design: A Doll's Earrings, 1690-1700

Earrings made for the Lady Clapham Doll
England, 1690-1700
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This set of mismatched earrings belonged to a doll.  The Lady Clapham doll--the be exact.  The Lord and Lady Clapham Dolls were made in the Seventeenth Century for the Cockerell Family--descendants of the famed diarist Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) who first recorded Mr. Punch's presence in Covent Garden.


The dolls were outfitted with complete wardrobes and furnishings befitting full-size nobility.  Among Lady Clapham's accessories were these earrings.  The stud is made of brass and backed in silver while the more formal drop is a paste set in a silver mount.

Mastery of Design: The Monkey Face Swivel Ring, 1800-1839

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Part of the collection of Reverend Townshend, this ring is set with Sunstone (feldspar) in a swivel gold setting, carved with a cameo of a monkey's head. The ring was made between 1800 and 1839 to showcase the stone and was never meant to be worn.

Curiously, the setting is much more whimsical than those of the other stones in the Reverend’s important collection. Through the swivel setting, the monkey's face can be turned away to reveal a smooth cabochon which shows the feldspar's clarity and bright color. 

This ring, like many which were acquired by Reverend Townshend wasd originally in the possession of Henry Philip Hope (d.1839) who formed a famous collection of diamonds and precious stones—a collection which included the famous Hope blue diamond, now in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 

Gifts of Grandeur: The Lehigh Valley Railway Brooch, 1948

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Isn’t this wonderful? Here we see a gold brooch in the form of a diesel locomotive, set with diamonds, sapphires and rock crystal. It’s the work of an unknown American jeweler and dates to 1948.

Jewelers often created special to commemorate notable events. This brooch was made to mark the introduction of diesel locomotives to part of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in the U.S. as locomotives powered by diesel were beginning to replace older steam locomotives. Such an event was exciting and important, hence the creation of this piece.

The Lehigh Valley Railroad was first constructed in the Nineteenth Century to transport Anthracite coal from Pennsylvania to America’s east coast, earning the nickname “the route of the black diamond,” in honor of its profitable cargo. To commemorate this, a black diamond shape can be seen on the company's logo on the front of this brooch.

Mastery of Design: A Gold, Jade and Ruby Necklace, 1825

Necklace
Gold, Jade, Rubies, Chrysoprase
1825
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made just four years after the coronation of King George IV, this necklace of gold filigree with cannetille (fine gold work of thin or flattened wires in rosette patterns) and grainti (spirals and volutes of gold wire) decoration, is set with jade, chrysoprases and rubies and shows emerging resurgence of Gothic style which dominated the era for awhile.

The work of an unknown artist, this necklace most likely comes from France. It is curious to note that the earrings were not made at the same time as the necklace and, in fact, were not purposely made to match. These were purchased at a much later date and just coincidentally matched the necklace.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Balmoral Brooch, 1895

Commemorative Brooch
Collingwood & Co., 1895
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Still in its original presentation box, this commemorative brooch was given to the actress Winifred Dolan (1867-1958) by Queen Victoria following Dolan’s special command performance of R. C. Carton's play “Liberty Hall.” The play was performed at Balmoral Castle on September 16, 1895. In the play, Miss Dolan played the role of “Miss Hickson.” The brooch was made by Collingwood & Co. especially for the Queen. Collingwood created several such commemorative pieces which Queen Victoria gifted to visitors or special guests.

As was the style of the time, the jewel is designed as bar brooch featuring the arms of the Royal Victorian Order, enameled in red on a gold base with six imitation pearls. The presentation box of green leather is trimmed with gold and lined in beige satin and velvet. 

Mastery of Design: A Gold and Baroque Pearl Bracelet, 1968

Bracelet
John Donald, 1968
Gold and Baroque Pearls
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When Princess Margaret wasn’t drinking or making people cry, she liked to shop for clothes and jewels. She had her favorite designers. Among her favorite jewelers was John Donald whom we’ve discussed previously regarding his Honeycomb Pendant. 

Donald John liked to play with natural shapes and create cutting-edge designs which were reminiscent of themes from everyday life. This bracelet of gold takes the form of a bird’s nest, set with baroque pearls of varying shades.

While this example from the V&A wasn’t made for Margaret Rose, she did have several bracelets by Donald and was a frequent visitor to his shop.

Mastery of Design: The Castellani Diadem, 1860

Diadem
Castellani, c. 1860
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The Italian jewelry firm of Castellani made this diadem around 1860 based on an Etruscan original which dated to about 300 B.C. The original is the Campana Collection in the Louvre.

This tiara was copied four more times with each of the copies remaining in private collections. This one was shown at the International Exhibition in London in 1862. There, the works of Castellani garnered much attention and acclaim. So many flocked to the Castellani exhibit, in fact, that a policeman was stationed outside of the display to control the crowds. Certainly, the diadem was the centerpiece of the group.

The piece is made of gold with open floral-work. It is set with pearls, and beads and features enameled, serrated leaves and beaded blue berries. 

Unusual Artifacts: The Castellani Etruscan Scarab Necklace, 500 B.C. to 1925 A.D.

Necklace
Ancient Granulated Gold Beads and Etruscan
Carnelian Scarabs set in Gold.
Artifacts: 500 - 300 B.C.
Setting: 1920-1025
Castellani, Rome
This and all related images:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This beautiful necklace is the result of over two thousand years of artistry. In the Nineteenth Century, jewelers began to experiment with resurrecting ancient jewelry styles which they based on then-recent archeological finds. The trend reached new heights of popularity in the early Twentieth Century.

The Italian jewelry firm, Castellani, was among the leaders in this movement. This necklace is an adaptation of archeological-style jewelry which is rooted both in Nineteenth Century ideals and ancient styles as well as incorporates actual Etruscan artifacts into the piece.

The jeweler based the design on earlier Nineteenth Century prototypes, chiefly, the Campana Collection necklace which is housed in the Louvre. This design features authentic Etruscan carnelian scarabs strung with truly ancient, granulated gold beads. Using these ancient elements to produce a necklace in a new, popular style was both a novelty and a way of rescuing broken and discarded artifacts. 

Mastery of Design: Mary Todd Lincoln's Diamond Brooch and Earrings, pre-1867

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Mary Todd Lincoln was a very complicated woman by all accounts.

Still, we're not here to discuss Mrs. Lincoln's life of suffering, her eccentricities nor her triumphs.  We're here to discuss her sense of style, and, from what I've seen, she had rather good taste in jewelry.

For example, this diamond brooch and earring suite is a rather stunning bit of work.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Quatrefoil in design, each element is set with a central diamond framed in a diamond surround.  Eight smaller diamonds form a  second tier of stones. The gold mounts were originally highlighted in enamels though now much of the enamel is lost to wear.

The mine-cut diamonds are likely all original to the parure, ranging in color from  J-K with VS-VS1 clarity. 

On October 26 of 1867, the suite was featured  in Frank Lesley's Illustrated Newspaper as part of a job lot of Mrs. Lincoln's clothes, jewelry, and furnishings that were offered for sale through Brady & Company of New York City. 

Mrs. Lincoln in 1867,
around the time of the sale of her jewels.

After the assassination of her esteemed husband, President Abraham Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln's many debts became insurmountable, leading to this rather depressing sale of some of her most cherished possessions.  The sale price listed for the suite was $350.00.

A James Denton Hancock of Ohio purchased the parure for his wife Mary Hitchcock Hancock (according to Mary Todd Lincoln scholar Donna McCreary) at the 1867 sale which took place at Brady &Co, 609 Broadway, NYC.  The jewels descended in the family of Robert Allen, Jr..  they were later purchased at a Frank Kaminski auction on in April of 2008 by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts where they're now a central part of the museum's important collection of jewelry.

Mastery of Design: The Salamanca Pendant, 1800-1870

Pendant
Salamanca Spain
1800-1870
The Victoria & Albert Museum

It’s not surprising, given Spain’s highly-Catholic history, that Roman Catholic imagery would be incorporated into all art forms. Many jewels made in Spain from the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries featured religious themes along with more secular designs.

This cross-shaped pendant is a good example. Made in the Salamanca region of Spain, the pendant is a great representation of the sort of filigree work which made the region famous. While the piece is dominated by the cross, it is suspended from a tulip, and this from a filigree bow—a popular fashion of the early-to-mid Nineteenth Century. Similarly, as was the style of the time, the pendant is made in three sections—each encrusted with seed and baroque pearls attached by thin gold wire. The whole was worn on a ribbon, tied around the throat.

The work of an unknown jeweler, the piece dates between 1800 and 1870.

 

Mastery of Design: The Crouzet Diamond and Pearl Brooch, 1860-70

Brooch
Crouzet, 1860-70
French
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here we see an brooch of openwork gold, enameled in black set with diamonds and pearls, and dripping with pearls and diamond pendants

The brooch is attributed toCrouzet, a master jeweler who worked for all the major Parisian goldsmiths, and who was celebrated for his jewels of fine quality and unique design and his reliance on pieces in the Moroccan taste. This particular example of his work brooch seems to have been inspired by the " moresque " work of the renowned Parisian goldsmith Alphonse Fouquet. As with many of Crouzet’s pieces during this period, this brooch was designed to be worn during a period of mourning or half-mourning.

Mastery of Design: The Lahore Emerald Girdle, c. 1840

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The emeralds in this exquisite piece were inherited by India's Maharajah Sher Singh from Ranjit Singh, his father known as the "Lion of the Punjab."  "The Lion," it is said, had used the emeralds to decorate his horse harnesses.  The maharajah had the emeralds made into this exceptional girdle circa 1840.

Nine years later, the Directors of the East India Company obtained the belt and presented it to Queen Victoria in 1851.  

As we know, the East India Company was chartered, as early as the Seventeenth Century, to encourage trade between Britain and the East Indies.  The Company eventually came to rule huge geographic areas of India with its own private armies, and, in doing so, exercised military power while assuming administrative functions.

Company rule of India  began in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey and remained strong until 1858 when, after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the "Government of India Act 1858" concluded with the British Crown assuming direct control of the land under the new British Raj.

During this period of Company rule, India's leaders were often stripped of their treasures for the benefit of the Company.  This piece was one such treasure.

The Royal Collection states simply that the emerald girdle was...

"taken (as part of the Lahore Treasury) by the Directors of the East India Company, 1849; by whom given to Queen Victoria in 1851."

In short, many British royal jewels originating in India were legitimately given as gifts to the Company or to the Crown, but some were simply war booty, essentially taken from the Indian Maharajahs.  The largest collection of such treasures was taken from the Lahore Fort, just as this girdle was.  The exact number and nature of the jewels taken from the Lahore Treasure was closely guarded by  jewellers to the Royal family, Messrs Garrads & Co.  In fact, to this day, an official count is unknown.

Regardless of the manner in which they came into the collection over a century and a half ago, the curators of the Royal Collection have preserved and protected the jewels of The Lahore Treasury, and, in doing so have ensured their survival for future generations to study them.  This is the "give and take" of seized artifacts.  The way they were obtained may not have been too pleasant, but, ultimately, seizing them proves to protect them.

That's how I look at it, anyway.  But, enough of that, let's look at the girdle.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The jeweled belt is comprised of eighteen rectangular gold sections separated by gold links and a buckle.  Each section is edged with diamond and pearl links and set with square or hexagonal emeralds, and four with engraved oval stones. The buckle of the girdle has a square emerald between rows of diamonds in a flowerhead design.  The diamonds are either flat-cut (lasques) or more regularly faceted stones cut either in the West or in India for the Western market. The pearls are probably Eighteenth Century or earlier.

On her visit to the Great Exhibition on 22 May 1851, Queen Victoria was particularly struck by the the magnificence of the items from the Lahore Treasury.  She wrote of the...

 "jewels & ornaments from Lahore, [which] are quite magnificent, - such pearls, - & a whole girdle of emeralds."

When the Great Exhibition concluded,  as I said, the Directors of the East India Company presented the Queen with a splendid selection of these jewels, including a quantity of emeralds, which she described as "wonderful and of immense value."

A good many of the loose emeralds were re-cut and set by Garrards in a new emerald and diamond parure, consisting of a tiara, stomacher and a pair of bracelets, which Victoria wore on her State Visit to Paris in 1855. 

This girdle, which the Queen had so admired, was among the other treasures from Lahore which remained unchanged, and therefore, afford us a window into the style and brilliant craftsmanship of Nineteenth Century Indian goldsmiths.