Antique Necklace with Pastel-Coloured Gemstones in Gold, c. 1905

Harlequin

Antique Necklace with Pastel-Coloured Gemstones in Gold, c. 1905

€ 4,690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

Pieces of jewellery in rich colours appear time and again throughout the history of jewellery. Jewellery featuring multiple gemstones of different colours is also known as “Harlequin jewellery,” named after the colorful costume of the character of the same name in the Commedia dell’arte. Such designs were particularly popular in the 1820s and 1830s. When the fashion of that era was revived at the turn of the 20th century, multicolored jewellery also found new admirers. The necklace presented here combines various gemstones into a pastel-colored medley: aquamarines and citrines, topazes and amethysts, as well as a rhodolite, come together to form a surprisingly harmonious whole. Delicate, dainty gold prong settings hold the stones, which are graduated in a row and form the centerpiece of the necklace. The gemstones—then still referred to as “semi-precious stones”—that we find combined in this necklace enjoyed increasing popularity around the turn of the century. On the one hand, they could be paired with elegant afternoon attire and were not as formal as opulent diamond jewellery. On the other hand, they were seen as an artistic distinction from diamond jewelry, which had become virtually ubiquitous and required little artistry to wear. Selecting gemstones that suited one’s personal style and wardrobe, however, was a more subtle matter. In addition, jewellery like this complemented contemporary fashion, which was dominated by pastel colors and lightweight fabrics. Fashion houses such as the House of Worth designed dresses in soft tones, embroidered with floral motifs and accented by delicate tulle panels. The lines were flowing and soft, the colours all drawn from an exceptionally delicate spectrum. To match, people liked to wear gemstones in similar colours: lilac-colored amethysts, light green peridots, iridescent opals, or water-blue aquamarines. The necklace is in very good condition. For more on so-called “Harlequin Jewelry,” see, among others, Ginny Reddington Dawes / Olivia Collings: Georgian Jewelry 1714–1830, Woodbridge 2007, p. 90.

Size & Details

Harlequin

€ 4,690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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Harlequin

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