Antique Pendant with Rubies and Diamonds in Rhodium-Plated Silver, c. 1900 and Later

Red as Blood, White as Snow

Antique Pendant with Rubies and Diamonds in Rhodium-Plated Silver, c. 1900 and Later

€ 3,980.00 ^*

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!

This pendant is a sparkling flower made of diamonds, accented with vibrant rubies. More than two carats of old-cut diamonds, along with six rubies from Burma and Thailand, are set in rhodium-plated silver. At the center is a larger diamond, from which elegant curves and petals radiate symmetrically outward. At the top, a loop set with additional diamonds completes the pendant design. The flower is crafted from silver against a background of reddish gold. This craftsmanship is typical of antique jewellery from the late 19th and even the early 20th centuries. Silver was used because the goal was to create a bright, shimmering white setting for the diamonds, but white gold was not yet available, and not every goldsmith was able to work with platinum. The gold backing also prevented the jewellery from staining light-colored fabrics. In later years, however, people often found it bothersome that the silver darkened and tended to tarnish. For this reason, many pieces of jewellery from this period were coated with a shiny layer of rhodium in subsequent eras. This is also the case here: the pendant has since shone in a cool, uniform white. The silver and the gold backing are no longer visible; only when viewed from the side can one still sense that the pendant is constructed from two different metals layered on top of one another. This electroplated layer of rhodium can no longer be removed. However, it does not tarnish either. The pendant was created around the turn of the century. We discovered it, just as it is, in the Rhineland. We had the chain custom-made.

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The combination of rubies and diamonds appears time and again in antique pieces of jewellery, and it has even found its way into literature! In Adalbert Stifter’s moving story Der Nachsommer from 1857, we read the following description: “The jewellery was a composition of diamonds and rubies and looked as delicate, pure, and luxurious as a medieval work of art set in colour. A true magic surrounded this intimacy of watery brilliance and rose-red hues.”

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Size & Details

Red as Blood, White as Snow

€ 3,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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Red as Blood, White as Snow

Pendants

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