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: A Medieval Sapphire Ring, 1250-1300

Ring
Engraved Gold and Cabochon Sapphire
1250-1300
Possibly English or French
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The human fascination with gemstones has thrived for thousands of years. In the middle ages, gems were cherished not only for their inherent value, but for their talismanic properties. Sapphires were most especially coveted. They were considered quite exotic—coming mostly from Sri Lanka, and were, therefore assigned great monetary value. However, they were also assigned significant spiritual powers which made them all the more desirable.


Sapphires were considered as contributors to peace, reconciliation and chastity. Furthermore, the wearer of a sapphire was said to have a clearer communication with God who would be more inclined to hear the wearer’s prayers more favorably.

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Jewelers options were limited. The tools available in the medieval period didn’t allow for intricate facets and cuts on gemstones. Stones such as rubies and sapphires were not faceted, but rather polished into shining cabochons, usually of irregular shapes.

This ring from the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London dates to between 1250 and 1300 and shows the predominant trend of jewels of the era. The sapphire has been polished into a cabochon and secured to the ring in a thick claw setting. The setting is mounted at quite a height. Though it seems ridiculous to modern eyes, this tall setting allowed for more light to enter the stone. The ring itself is crafted from engraved gold with the kind of foliate pattern which appealed to medieval sensibilities. This was the stuff of the very wealthy and, unfortunately, very few pieces of jewelry from this time period survive.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Set of Five Platinum Eternity Bands or Guard Rings, 1920-40

Guard Rings
1920-1940
England
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a set of five platinum guard rings set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Today, we’d refer to these rings as Eternity Bands and, they’re quite in fashion again. This set was made between 1920 and 1940.


These narrow rings are set with a continuous line of matching, single-color stones. Such rings initially became very fashionable during the 1930s. They were worn either next to or instead of a plain, gold or platinum wedding band. Of course, diamonds were the most popular choice, others were often set with emeralds, rubies or sapphires. One famous lover of such rings was Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent. On her marriage in 1934 to Prince George, the Duke of Kent (son of George V and Mary of Teck), she selected three - one of rubies, one of diamonds and one of sapphires, the colors of the Union Jack.

Mastery of Design: A Seventeenth-Century Diamond and Sapphire Necklace

This and all related images from The British Musuem

There's some debate about where this necklace was made.  It could have come from anywhere, but France, the Netherlands, and England have been speculated.  Nonetheless, it's a safe bet that it dates to the early Seventeenth Century.

The gold necklace is comprised of thirty-five square mounts of gold containing diamonds cut in the form of a truncated pyramid and central pendant of three diamonds and an octagonal sapphire.  The reverses of these links are enameled in black and white while the back of pendant is enameled with a tulip-pattern in red, white and black.

Sunday Sparkle: Queen Victoria’s Wedding Brooch, 1840

Queen Victoria's Wedding Brooch, 1840
Given by Prince Albert on the day before
their marriage.
The Royal Collection

The day before she wed Prince Albert, Queen Victoria wrote in her journal of a gift given by, “Dearest Albert” of a “splendid brooch—a large sapphire set round with diamonds, which is really quite beautiful.” She wore the brooch on her wedding day with her Turkish Diamonds, and continued to wear the brooch on a regular basis until 1861. During her long period of mourning, Queen Victoria rarely wore diamond jewelry.


We’re unsure from where Prince Albert purchased the brooch. Before their union and during the early years of his marriage, he spent a significant amount of money on jewelry for Victoria. His financial records show purchases from notable London jewelers as well as items purchased from dealers abroad. Historians suspect that this gold, diamond and sapphire brooch might have come from Asia.

This brooch is significant in that it set the style for jewelry in the early part of the Victorian era. Pieces which featured a simple setting of a large colored gem surrounded by diamonds became quite the fashion and remained popular for many years. The simplicity of design was meant to give the piece weight and importance—letting the stones speak for themselves. We can see the influence of this piece in later English jewelry designs reaching well into the 1920’s with the fashion of geometric-patterned jewelry in contrasting sapphires and diamonds.

Mastery of Design: Seal and Case, 1580

Seal and Case
1580
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This beauitful engraved sapphire seal mounted in enamelled gold dates to about 1580 and was most likely the seal of Sir Thomas Knyvett (1539-1618). Kynvett was the grandson of Sir Thomas Knyvett, Master of the Horse to Henry VIII. Sir Thomas the younger was knighted 1579/80 and was created the High Sheriff of Norfolk. Sir Thomas later married Muriel, the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr, Treasurer of the Household to Queen Elizabeth.


While such a household was not considered Royal or even aristocratic, such close association with the monarch ensured that the family would want for nothing. Their position is evident in the quality of this seal with its enamelled gold case. An object such as this one would, most likely, have been a gift from the Royal Family—given for loyalty. 

Mastery of Design: The Blue-Eyed Fabergé Guinea Pig, c. 1900

Guinea Pig
Carl Fabergé
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Via The Royal Collection Trust and
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Of the dozens upon dozens of miniature precious Fabergé animals in The Royal Collection, there are two Guinea Pigs.  One has ruby eyes, and one has sapphire eyes.  This is the latter.  

Made of quartzite, aventurine quartz, obsidian, and cabochon sapphires, this adorable and valuable rodent was made around 1900 for Queen Alexandra who started the whole "miniature menagerie" madness.  

His body of white translucent quartzite is inlaid with pale patches of tawny aventurine-quartz.  Wee ears in obsidian rise above and especially bright eyes of cabochon sapphires, making him far cuter than his younger brother.

Mastery of Design: A White Gold, Diamond Ruby and Sapphire Brooch, 1940

Brooch
American, 1940
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This brooch dates to the Second World War. The history of the brooch is a trifle sketchy, but it was believed to have been worn by the wife or mother of an American serviceman during the war.

The design shows a Service Flag, the official banner of a regiment. Such flags were displayed by American families who had someone serving in the armed forces. Such banners were introduced in 1917 and were in widespread in both the U.S. and the U.K. during the Second World War. The blue star, representing the family member, would be replaced with a gold one if he was killed in action.

Mastery of Design: The Townshend Orange Sapphire

Ring with Orange Sapphire and Diamonds, 1850
From the Townshend Collection
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the collection of the Reverend Chauncy Hare Townshend, we see this exceptional orange sapphire.  Rubies and sapphires are varieties of corundum (aluminum oxide) which in its purest form is colorless. However, during formation of these crystals, local impurities in the earth create a range of different colors.  Rubies are colored by chromium and are always red, and while, sapphires typically are colored blue by iron and titanium, other colors of sapphire result from different combinations and proportions of impurities. When this occurs, the name sapphire is always prefixed with the color.

This ring is set with a stunning orange sapphire with a border of brilliant-cut diamonds, in a gold setting of about 1850.  It was made solely to showcase the stone.  

Mastery of Design: An Ivory and Precious Stone Comb, 1906

Comb
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I’ve been collecting antique combs for quite some time and certainly wish I had this one. Made in 1906 by English designer Joseph Hodel, this comb is a msterpiece of ivory, mounted in silver and set with mother-of-pearl, sapphires, green stained chalcedony and a fire opal.
Joseph Hodel was a member of the Bromsgrove Guild and showed this comb at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition in 1906 in London. There, it was likely purchased by May Morris--the younger daughter of the artist and socialist William Morris. May Morris, also an artist was showing her own jewellery at the Exhibition and was drawn to the comb with its colourful cabochon-cut stones—typical of Arts and Crafts jewellery. 

Mastery of Design: The DEAREST Bird, c. 1830

This and all related images
from The British Museum

Click to enlarge.

From The British Museum's Hull-Grundy Collection, this two-color gold comb was made around 1830 in Britain.  The comb is designed in the form of a leafy branch upon which is perched a bird with a ruby eye.  She carries a ring in her beak and is mounted on a trembler spring to give her movement.

The twig, at the central crest is set with a diamond, an emerald, an amethyst, a ruby, an emerald, a sapphire and a turquoise, which, as we know, in the language of jewels spells "DEAREST."  Gold foliage and turquoise-set forget-me-nots adorn the rest of the branch.

This is one in a collection of bird-themed romantic jewelry amassed by the Hull-Grundy family, itself a part of a fantastic parure.

Click images to "embiggen."

Mastery of Design: A Seventeenth-Century Diamond and Sapphire Necklace

This and all related images from The British Musuem

There's some debate about where this necklace was made.  It could have come from anywhere, but France, the Netherlands, and England have been speculated.  Nonetheless, it's a safe bet that it dates to the early Seventeenth Century.

The gold necklace is comprised of thirty-five square mounts of gold containing diamonds cut in the form of a truncated pyramid and central pendant of three diamonds and an octagonal sapphire.  The reverses of these links are enameled in black and white while the back of pendant is enameled with a tulip-pattern in red, white and black.

Mastery of Design: A Curious Sapphire Dress-Pin, 100-130

Dress Pin
Roman, 100-130
The British Museum

Here's a curious, but attractive bit of sparkle from The British Museum.  This Roman dress-pin dates to about 100-130.  A work of carved sapphire and wrought gold, the piece depicts the bust of a woman sporting an elaborate coiffure.  The odd part of the bust's hairdo is that, in the reverse, it reveals the face of a child.  Hmmmm...

A modern gold pedestal was added to the original wrought gold setting which included the small diamond that's still visible at the bodice of the bust.  

Mastery of Design: A Sapphire, Pearl and Diamond Bracelet, 1890

Bracelet
Gold, Sapphires, Pearls, Rose-Cut Diamonds
St. Petersburg, 1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The magnificent bangle, made in St. Petersburg in 1890, combines a variety of styles into one gorgeous piece. As was often the case with Russian jewelry, it’s made of beautiful quality materials—gold, cabochon sapphires, pearls and very clear rose-cut diamonds. The style is geometric, a nod to the popular work of Fabergé, but also inspired by Eastern designs and Indian jewels.


Clearly, this bracelet was made for export to England. The influence of Indian artistry is evidence of that as is the vague sense of the medieval about this piece. Russian jewelers often produced special wares for export to the English who were always eager to add the perfect accessory to their wardrobes.

Unusual Artifacts: An Unusual Naturalistic Brooch, 1920-1930

Brooch
Great Britain, 1920-1930
The Victoria & Albert Museum

By the 1920’s, botanical-themed jewelry was still quite popular in Britain, but had changed considerably from its Georgian and Victorian roots. We can see the stylistic changes in Naturalistic jewelry with this unusual brooch. Instead of full blooms, we see stylized mushrooms and bullrushes in brown enamels, highlighted by settings of gold and platinum and accentuated by a large baroque pearl, diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds.


While the design is clearly Art Deco, it differs from other pieces of the era because of its markedly rural feel as opposed to the skyscraper, urban look of most jewelry of the time.

 
 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Set of Five Platinum Eternity Bands or Guard Rings, 1920-40

Guard Rings
1920-1940
England
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see a set of five platinum guard rings set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Today, we’d refer to these rings as Eternity Bands and, they’re quite in fashion again. This set was made between 1920 and 1940.


These narrow rings are set with a continuous line of matching, single-color stones. Such rings initially became very fashionable during the 1930s. They were worn either next to or instead of a plain, gold or platinum wedding band. Of course, diamonds were the most popular choice, others were often set with emeralds, rubies or sapphires. One famous lover of such rings was Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent. On her marriage in 1934 to Prince George, the Duke of Kent (son of George V and Mary of Teck), she selected three - one of rubies, one of diamonds and one of sapphires, the colors of the Union Jack.

Object of the Day: Museum Edition: A Medieval Sapphire Ring, 1250-1300

Ring
Engraved Gold and Cabochon Sapphire
1250-1300
Possibly English or French
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The human fascination with gemstones has thrived for thousands of years. In the middle ages, gems were cherished not only for their inherent value, but for their talismanic properties. Sapphires were most especially coveted. They were considered quite exotic—coming mostly from Sri Lanka, and were, therefore assigned great monetary value. However, they were also assigned significant spiritual powers which made them all the more desirable.


Sapphires were considered as contributors to peace, reconciliation and chastity. Furthermore, the wearer of a sapphire was said to have a clearer communication with God who would be more inclined to hear the wearer’s prayers more favorably.

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Jewelers options were limited. The tools available in the medieval period didn’t allow for intricate facets and cuts on gemstones. Stones such as rubies and sapphires were not faceted, but rather polished into shining cabochons, usually of irregular shapes.

This ring from the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London dates to between 1250 and 1300 and shows the predominant trend of jewels of the era. The sapphire has been polished into a cabochon and secured to the ring in a thick claw setting. The setting is mounted at quite a height. Though it seems ridiculous to modern eyes, this tall setting allowed for more light to enter the stone. The ring itself is crafted from engraved gold with the kind of foliate pattern which appealed to medieval sensibilities. This was the stuff of the very wealthy and, unfortunately, very few pieces of jewelry from this time period survive.