French Art Nouveau enameled necklace with emeralds and citrine briolettes

Antique jewelry object group
necklace

Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale

Country of origin
France

Style
Art Nouveau - Art Nouveau (French for New Style) is an international movement and style of art, architecture and applied art - especially the decorative arts - that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century (1890–1905).

The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art". It is also known as Jugendstil, German for "youth style", named after the magazine Jugend, which promoted it, and in Italy, Stile Liberty from the department store in London, Liberty & Co., which popularised the style, and in Holland as “Sla-olie-stijl”, Dutch for “salad oil style” after a advertisement poster for this product that was made in that style.

A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it is characterized by organic, especially floral and other plant-inspired motifs, as well as highly stylized, flowing curvilinear forms. Art Nouveau is an approach to design according to which artists should work on everything from architecture to furniture, making art part of everyday life. Although Art Nouveau fell out of favour with the arrival of 20th-century modernist styles, it is seen today as an important bridge between the historicism of Neoclassicism and modernism.
See also: Art Nouveau
more info on styles

Style specifics
Art Nouveau - Although Art Nouveau took on distinctly localised tendencies as its geographic spread increase some general characteristics are indicative of the form. A description published in Pan magazine of Hermann Obrist's wall-hanging Cyclamen (1894) described it as "sudden violent curves generated by the crack of a whip", which became well known during the early spread of Art Nouveau.

Subsequently, not only did the work itself become better known as The Whiplash, but the term "whiplash" is frequently applied to the characteristic curves employed by Art Nouveau artists. Such decorative "whiplash" motifs, formed by dynamic, undulating, and flowing lines in a syncopated rhythm, are found throughout the architecture, painting, sculpture, and other forms of Art Nouveau design.(from: Wikipedia)

Period
ca. 1900
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Material
18K yellow gold (touchstone tested)
more info on precious metals

Technique
Enamelling is an old and widely-adopted technology. The ancient Egyptians applied enamels to pottery and stone objects. The ancient Greeks, Celts, Russians, and Chinese also used enameling processes on metal objects. Enamel is the colorful result of fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 degrees Celsius. The powder melts and flows and hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic. According to some sources, the word enamel comes from the High German word smelzan (to smelt) via the Old French esmail. Used as a noun, "an enamel" is a usually small decorative object, coated with enamel coating, such as a champlevé or a cloisonné (different techniques).

Precious stones
44 natural emeralds and two briolet cut citrines

It is a very common practice to treat gemstones to intensify their clarity or colour. The item in question has not been tested in this regard.

Birthstones
Citrine is the birthstone (or month stone) for November and emerald for May.
more info on birthstones

Hallmarks
The French control mark for 18K gold representing an eagle's head that was in use in France from about 1838.
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Dimensions
length necklace 42,00 cm (16,54 inch), height pendant 9,00 cm (3,54 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
10,20 gram (6,56 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
21168-0473

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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