Rococo Diamond Pendant Earrings from the Southern Netherlands, circa 1750
These long Rococo pendant earrings, made in the Southern Netherlands around 1750, combine airy gold openwork with the pale glimmer of diamonds. Eight table-cut diamonds form the principal accents, surrounded by 48 rose-cut diamonds and senailles, their irregular facets lending a soft, candlelit brilliance. Imagine wearing earrings made some 275 years ago, still preserved in such remarkable condition. Their elongated construction moves gracefully when worn, while the closed-back settings and delicate scrollwork retain the refinement and character of mid-18th-century craftsmanship.
Jewellery Type
long pendant earrings
Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale
Country of origin
Probably Southern Netherlandish, possibly Flemish or Brabant. Although no identifiable assay or control marks are present, the construction, openwork design and use of gold suggest an origin in the Southern Netherlands.
Style
Rococo jewellery - This 18th-century style developed in France around 1730, following the Baroque, and remained influential until circa 1770.
It is characterised by light, ornamental compositions, often incorporating asymmetrical openwork, rocaille forms, C and S scrolls, ribbon bows, flowers, foliage and tendrils. In jewellery, diamonds were frequently set in silver to emphasise their
whiteness, while gold was used for the underlying construction and decorative openwork.
Developed under Louis XV and associated with French court culture, aristocratic salons and patrons such as Madame de Pompadour, Rococo spread to Italy, Germany and Austria, and to a lesser extent to England. Compared with the symmetry and grandeur of the Baroque, it is generally lighter, more intimate, playful and ornamental.
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Period
circa 1750
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era,
fashion of this era.
Material
14K
red gold gold and details in silver (touchstone tested)
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Technique
The diamonds are mounted in closed-back settings, many of them probably over foil, a technique used to enhance their brilliance and reflect light through the stones.
Diamonds
Eight
table-cut diamonds.
48
rose-cut diamonds
and senailles
. A senaille is a simplified rose-cut diamond, usually consisting of a small diamond chip with only a few polished facets.
The weights of these early-cut diamonds are not known, which is customary in the antique jewellery trade because their irregular shapes and closed-back settings prevent reliable measurement without removing them from the jewel.
Total diamond count
56 pcs.
All diamonds in our antique and vintage jewellery, regardless of size or shape, are verified by the IJGC laboratory as natural.
Birthstones
Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April.
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Hallmarks
Bearing an as yet unidentified maker’s mark in the form of a solid pellet above the capital letter D within a vertical rectangular punch. No identifiable assay or control marks are present.
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Dimensions
height 8,73 cm (3,44 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches
Weight
17,70 gram (11,38 dwt)
Adin Reference Nº
26147-00053
Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery
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