Garrard of India

Precious Locket with Rubies & Diamonds in Gold by Robert Hamilton, Calcutta, ca. 1910

€ 3,690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Precious Locket with Rubies & Diamonds in Gold by Robert Hamilton, Calcutta, ca. 1910

Description

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

The precious locket here takes us to the strange and bygone world of the Indian Empire. As the most important of the British colonies, the subcontinent was the pride of the United Kingdom, the "crown jewel of the British Empire". Numerous Britons were drawn to the land to the east to try their luck and share in the fabulous wealth of the subcontinent. One of the most successful Britons in India was Robert Hamilton, who founded a gold and silversmith's shop in Calcutta in 1808. The company grew rapidly, establishing branches in Bombay and Simla in the 1860s, and in 1877 Hamilton was appointed purveyor to the court of the Prince of Wales, as well as to the court of the Viceroy of India, the British Governor General, by the end of the century. Hamilton & Co. was considered the "Garrard of India," was equated with Tiffany's and Cartier, and legend has it that no royal visitor to India left the continent without a souvenir from Hamilton's range. The piece of jewelry here, a medallion pendant with accompanying chain, is one such special memento of India. High karat gold, diamonds and rubies shine and glow like the splendor of the courts of the Maharajas once did. The rubies are synthetic stones produced by the Verneuil process, a brand new achievement in technology at the time. The large pendant is adorned with a sparkling bow, a literal bonding motif that was especially popular in the Edwardian era, and has space inside for two photographs in glassed-in frames, so they can always be worn close to the heart. The pendant and chain have survived in their original box, made especially for the piece. This bears Hamilton's name in its lid and proudly presents the company's titles as purveyor to the court and the Prince of Wales' coat of arms. Based on these clues and the design language of the locket, we date the piece to around 1910.

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The prevalence of synthetic sapphires and rubies in the early years of the 20th century is illustrated by an essay by German mineralogist Dr. Alfred Eppler, who wrote of them in the Deutsche Goldschmiede-Zeitung in 1910: "Since science and technology have advanced so far as to produce beautiful artificial rubies, some of which have succeeded so exquisitely that even the most subtle aid of the scholar threatens to fail in distinguishing them from the natural ones, why limit their possible uses?" Alfred Eppler: Synthetische Edelsteine, in: Deutsche Goldschmiede-Zeitung 7 (1910), p. 61f., here p. 62.

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Size & Details

Garrard of India

€ 3,690.00 ^*

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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Garrard of India

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