Mastery of Design: A Gold, Diamond and Enamel "Compass" Ring, c. 1850

The Victoria & Albert Museum

An enameled gold ring with an oval bezel, this piece features a hinged cover which is set with a pink sapphire in a border of rose-cut diamonds.  The center stone has mistakenly been identified as a ruby in previous records.  Nonetheless, a pink sapphire and a pale ruby are close cousins in the rock world.

Below the kinged cover is a compass dial.

The gold shoulders of the ring are adorned with volutes and strapwork.

The piece was possibly made in Germany circa 1850-1900.

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. 

Mastery of Design: The Hamond Earrings, 18th C.

Earrings
Russia, Early Eighteenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This pair of square pendant earrings is set with rose-cut diamonds, rubies and foiled pink sapphires. Each one drips with three small, pierced pearls. Earrings of this style were the height of fashion with the Russian aristocracy of the early Eighteenth Century.

This example was made by a local silversmith and, thusly, has no marking. However, more celebrated jewelers made such pairs for export to France and Britain.

While the style remained popular well into the Nineteenth Century with the rural population, the aristocracy dropped it like a burning porcupine toward the middle of the Eighteenth. Wealthier families of the later part of the century wanted to show their international understanding and preferred to adorn themselves with styles popular in Europe. The Great Exhibition also helped solidify an international style which was adopted throughout empires.

Mastery of Design: The Pozzuoli Girandole Earring, 1800-1850

Click image for detail.

Earring
Italy, 1800-1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Italian jewelers are often heralded for their lavish designs, but, it’s important to note that, historically, the Italian jewelers are also some of the best at using materials in creative and unexpected ways.

For example, jewelers at the south of Italy took advantage of the warm Mediterranean waters and farmed the gorgeous seed pearls which, there, were abundant in the days before the Industrial Age. Thin gold wires allowed the pearls to be fastened in glorious clusters. This fashion, almost evocative of food, grew into delicious, rich mounts of densely-set multi-colored stones. No more so was this lush style apparent than on the earrings created in Italy in the early to mid Nineteenth Century when Italian women’s appetites for ear baubles was at an all-time high. Grand Tour visitors to Italy noted the glorious earrings sported by the Italian women and brought the fashion to London, and Paris where girandole earrings soon dangled from the most aristocratic lobes.

Here’s a smashing example of such a girandole earring. Sadly, we’ve only got one. Made in Pozzuoli in Campania between 1800 and 1850, this earring has an interesting story. It was shown at the International Exhibition of Paris in 1867 as a perfect representation of Italian craftsmanship. There, despite its uncertain date of creation and unknown jeweler, it became a star of the show. A representative of the famed jewelry firm of Castellani purchased the piece to add to their growing display of Italian Peasant Jewelry—a collection which was used by the firm as inspiration for their own wares. The earring was praised for its enormously rich design as well as the cleverness of the addition of a ribbon (now lost) through the gold loop at the top of the jewel. This ribbon could be tied around the ear to relieve the strain that the heavy jewel would have placed on the earlobe. The earring served its purpose for Castellani who copied it and adapted the style into its archaeologically-inspired line of jewels. 

Let’s look at it, shall we? The girandole earring is adorned in the Southern Italian style with strings of seed pearls. These surround conical mounts which appear to be set with rubies. They are not, however, rubies. They are, in fact, pink sapphires which are backed in red foil. Small pastes of green wax imitate emeralds. The overall effect is one of pure luxury. 

Mastery of Design: The Pozzuoli Girandole Earring, 1800-1850

Click image for detail.

Earring
Italy, 1800-1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Italian jewelers are often heralded for their lavish designs, but, it’s important to note that, historically, the Italian jewelers are also some of the best at using materials in creative and unexpected ways.

For example, jewelers at the south of Italy took advantage of the warm Mediterranean waters and farmed the gorgeous seed pearls which, there, were abundant in the days before the Industrial Age. Thin gold wires allowed the pearls to be fastened in glorious clusters. This fashion, almost evocative of food, grew into delicious, rich mounts of densely-set multi-colored stones. No more so was this lush style apparent than on the earrings created in Italy in the early to mid Nineteenth Century when Italian women’s appetites for ear baubles was at an all-time high. Grand Tour visitors to Italy noted the glorious earrings sported by the Italian women and brought the fashion to London, and Paris where girandole earrings soon dangled from the most aristocratic lobes.

Here’s a smashing example of such a girandole earring. Sadly, we’ve only got one. Made in Pozzuoli in Campania between 1800 and 1850, this earring has an interesting story. It was shown at the International Exhibition of Paris in 1867 as a perfect representation of Italian craftsmanship. There, despite its uncertain date of creation and unknown jeweler, it became a star of the show. A representative of the famed jewelry firm of Castellani purchased the piece to add to their growing display of Italian Peasant Jewelry—a collection which was used by the firm as inspiration for their own wares. The earring was praised for its enormously rich design as well as the cleverness of the addition of a ribbon (now lost) through the gold loop at the top of the jewel. This ribbon could be tied around the ear to relieve the strain that the heavy jewel would have placed on the earlobe. The earring served its purpose for Castellani who copied it and adapted the style into its archaeologically-inspired line of jewels. 

Let’s look at it, shall we? The girandole earring is adorned in the Southern Italian style with strings of seed pearls. These surround conical mounts which appear to be set with rubies. They are not, however, rubies. They are, in fact, pink sapphires which are backed in red foil. Small pastes of green wax imitate emeralds. The overall effect is one of pure luxury. 

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.