Victorian diamond crown heart pendant, huge rose diamonds

Without a doubt the nicest Flemish heart we ever had. The size, quantity and quality of the rose cut diamonds is of such abundance that one can only guess about the rich lifestyle of the wearer of this jewel. A true pleasure for the eye!

Antique jewelry object group: combined brooch-pendant

Condition: excellent condition
  -  (more info on our condition scale)

Country of origin: Belgium

Style: Pre-Victorian or early Victorian Victorian - Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior decoration. Victorian design is widely viewed as having indulged in a regrettable excess of ornament. The Arts and Crafts movement, the aesthetic movement, Anglo-Japanese style, and Art Nouveau style have their beginnings in the late Victorian era.
  -  See also: Pre-Victorian and Victorian
or more info on styles

Style specifics: The Romantic Victorian Period - Experts divide the reign of Queen Victoria, also called The Victorian era (1837-1901) in to three peiods of about twenty years each; The Romantic Victorian Period (1837 - 1860), The Grand Victorian Period (1860 - 1880), and the Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period (1880 – 1901).

We consider this to be of the Romantic Victorian Period. This period covers the coronation of Victoria as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and her marriage to King Albert and their love, their devotion to their marriage and to their country are the sources of inspiration for this period. The jewels of this period are made of intricate carvings, special techniques where the enamel is subtly worked. These techniques allowed to give the jewel a certain opulence with less precious metal needed. As precious metals were really rare at that time. Highly favored (semi-) precious stones in this period are amethyst, coral, garnets, seed pearls and turquoises. The connotation is obviously sentimental, symbolic and romantic with reminiscent Gotic and/or Renaissance patterns and an abundant use of motifs like anchors, birds, branches, crosses, hearts and snakes.

Period: ca. 1840
  -  (events and facts in 1840)

Source of inspiration: Good luck tokens

Theme: Flemish Heart - One of the most peculiar and wide spread Flemish pieces of regional jewelry is a diamond heart pendant the so-called "Vlaams hart" (Dutch for “Flemish heart"). These hearts were fashionable in the 19th century and mostly made in gold backed silver (see also the silver on gold technique). A Flemish heart is a heart shaped field set with rose cut diamonds and/or senelles hanging under a crowning.

There are two sorts of crownings possible:
1) The crowing is a crown and then it is build up from horizontal, diamond embellished, tendrils that are resting on a smooth surfaced ajour cut band with flattened little rhombic bars. The tendrils from the top incline slightly over this ajour cut band towards the actual cross emphasizing the unity of the jewel.

2 ) The crowing as love trophy. A collection of four elements, a torch and quiver that are crossing each other, a bow that is horizontal mingled with them and all held together by a laurel. The slightly upwards direction of both ends of the bow refers to the St. Andrew's cross. Torch, quiver and bow are typical attributes to Amor (Eros) and the laurel refers to the triumph of love. This combination was already in use with the old Greek and Romans and later of course in the Renaissance and had a enormous success in France in the Louis XVI period (1774-1793).

Material: Silver
  -  (more info on precious metals)

Technique: The rose cuts are set on foil. This is a special technique that was used to bring the lustre of the diamonds to its best quality.

Diamonds: Six truly big and no less then 120 (!) smaller rose cut diamonds . We do not have the weight of the diamonds which is normal in our trade when it comes to rose cuts.
Note: All diamond weights, color grades and clarity are approximate since the stones were not removed from their mounts to preserve the integrity of the setting.

Birthstones: Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April.
  -  (more info on birthstones)

Hallmarks: The control mark here represents the letter 'E' and was used between 1831 and 1868 in Belgium for imported jewelry.
  -  (more info on hallmarks)

Dimensions: height 6.85 cm (2.70 inch) x width 3.90 cm (1.54 inch)

Weight: 17.70 gram (11.38 dwt)

Reference Nº: 12087-0068

Copyright photography: Adin, fine antique jewelry

See also our:
jewelry with hearts, silver jewelry or jewelry with silver, jewelry with rose cut diamonds, jewelry with diamond, latest acquisitions,
antique jewelry, estate jewelry, vintage jewelry or modern jewelry

Jewelry with birthstones (or month stones) for:
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August - September - October - November or December.


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