Antique Brooch with Cypher „A“ in Diamonds on Blue Enamel, c. 1820

"A" for Alexander

Antique Brooch with Cypher „A“ in Diamonds on Blue Enamel, c. 1820

€ 14,900.00 ^*

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!

In the past, precious gold boxes, brooches and rings were very common gifts from ruling princes to loyal subjects who had distinguished themselves through special service and loyalty. As a rule, they bore the cypher of the member of the ruling dynasty who bestowed the gift. This brooch was created as such a gift. It shows the letter "A" made of diamonds against a background of royal blue enamel. Twelve diamonds in a cushion-shaped old mine cut surround the oval field. They are set a jour in silver. A total of c. 4.45 ct of diamonds are gathered together. Jewelry with deep blue enamel and diamonds first emerged in London in the 1770s. A few commissions from the royal family, which quickly became known to the public, were enough and a new fashion was born: rings and brooches in Royal Blue Enamel were soon all the rage, even in Paris. Here they were called "bagues de firmament", or sky rings. In addition to diamond initials, there are also examples with small bouquets of flowers or diamond urns on the enamel. Perhaps precisely because of their origins in an aristocratic context, pieces of jewellery with blue enamel and diamonds remained in demand even after the French Revolution and the change in fashion towards classicism in the monarchies that continued to exist. They continued to be worn well into the 19th century. In the 1840s, jewellery with blue enamel became very fashionable again, and at the end of the 19th century, corresponding pieces were once again created. Based on the cut of the diamonds and their open back settings, this ring was created in the early 19th century. This period coincided with the reign of the then Russian Tsar Alexander I. Alexander was crowned Tsar in 1801 and remained on the throne in St. Petersburg until 1825. Various comparable gift rings and brooches with the tsar's monogram have survived, also in blue enamel and set with diamonds: this fashion had also arrived at the Russian tsar's court. It is possible that this piece of jewellery was also created as a gift from the tsar. Originally, the showpiece of the brooch was probably a ring, as suggested by the curvature of the brooch across the letter. It is made of gold on the back; the safety chain and pin were added later. The brooch, with the antique case from Leipzig, came to us from Hamburg.

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On jewellery with blue enamel, see Ginny Redington Dawas/Olivia Collings: Georgian Jewelry 1714-1830, Woodbridge 2007, p. 120, and Diana Sarisbrick: Rings. Jewellery of Power, Love and Loyalty, London 2007, p. 93f. Beautiful examples can also be found in Wolfgang Neumann (ed.): Trauerschmuck vom Barock bis zum Art Déco. Cat. exhib. Museum for Sepulchral Culture, Kassel 1995.

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Size & Details

"A" for Alexander

€ 14,900.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

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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.

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"A" for Alexander

Brooches & Pins

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