Antique 17th Century breast pendant in sequile style gold and rose cut diamonds

Antique Portuguese sequile style pendant featuring 33 rose cut and senaille diamonds held in foiled gold setting. The gold openwork surround features a sinuously scrolling foliate design in a lozenge shape traditional for sequille-style jewellery and features five teardrop shaped pendants, balancing the intricate design. The bigger stones are rose cuts and the smaller ones are senailles.

According to the Victoria & Albert Musueum, it is characteristic of Iberian gold jewellery at this date that the gold settings nearly enclose the smaller diamonds. Pictures of similar pendants can be found in "A Sparkling Age: 17th Century Diamond Jewellery” p 215 - by the Diamond Museum in Antwerp - published 1993 and in "Five Centuries of Jewellery" p 45 - by The National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon - published 1995.

Antique jewelry object group: pendant

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

Country of origin: Although it does not carry any legible control marks we believe this to be of Portuguese origin.

Style: Sequilé style - A term applied in Portugal to a style of lozenge pendant with various mobile drops, usually made in gold and diamonds, which became part of traditional Portuguese jewelry. or more info on styles

Style specifics: The whole frame work, the shape and the way the stones are mounted are typically for late 17th Century Portuguese jewelry

Period: ca. 1675
  -  (events and facts in 1675)

Material: 18K yellow gold
  -  (more info on precious metals)

Extra information: Foil set rose cut diamonds - 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. Romantic sellers would say that this is done so that the stones will sparkle beautifully in candlelight.

Diamonds: 33 rose cut diamonds and senailles . A senaille is a simplified rose cut diamond, a small diamond chip with perhaps a few polished facets. We do not have the weight of the rose cuts diamonds nor the senailles which is normal in our trade when it comes to rose cut diamonds and senailles.
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: No trace.
  -  (more info on hallmarks)

Dimensions: height 5,47 cm (2,15 inch)

Weight: 9,20 gram (5,92 dwt)

Reference Nº: 14065-0063

Copyright photography: Adin, fine antique jewelry

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