1680's Baroque Grandeur: A Diamond Cross Pendant

Crafted circa 1680, this pendant exemplifies the grandeur of Baroque artistry, with its vibrant curves and opulent, symmetrical forms. It features six table cut diamonds and four senailles set in 18K yellow gold—a precious metal whose lustrous sheen is augmented by traditional foil setting techniques. This pendant, lacking any trace of hallmarks, is a silent testament to the cross’s enduring symbolism in Christianity and its significance in Baroque iconography. The piece captures the spirit of an era that celebrated the dramatic interplay of divine and worldly splendour.

Antique jewelry object group
pendant

Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale

Country of origin
unknown

Style
Baroque - Baroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century in Europe. It is most often defined as "the dominant style of art in Europe between the Mannerist and Rococo eras, a style characterized by dynamic movement, overt emotion and self-confident rhetoric".
See also: Baroque
more info on styles

Style specifics
Baroque is a style in art and decoration that developed shortly before 1600 and remained current in Europe until the emergence of the Rococo style c.1730. It was started in Italy, and spread to Germany, Austria, the Low Countries, and Spain and Portugal, with only a somewhat severely classical version being popular in France under Louis XIV. The style was a development of the Renaissance style and is characterized by lively, curved, and exuberant forms, by vigorous movement, and by rich ornament, based on classical sources, being symmetrical as distinguished from the asymmetry of the following Rococo style.

Period
ca. 1680
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Source of inspiration
Christianity

Theme
Cross - The cross is one of the most ancient human symbols, and is used by many religions, such as Christianity. It is frequently a representation of the division of the world into four elements (or cardinal points), or alternately as the union of the concepts of divinity, the vertical line, and the world, the horizontal line. (from: Wikipedia)

Material
18K yellow gold (touchstone tested)
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 table cut brilliant cut diamonds (first generation of brilliant cut diamonds as we know them today) and four 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 these diamonds which is normal in our trade when it comes to senailles.
All diamonds we offer are screened by the I.J.G.C. for whether they are natural or synthetic, and all diamonds in this jewel are 100% guaranteed to be natural.

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

Hallmarks
No trace.
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
height 4,53 cm (1,78 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
5,80 gram (3,73 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
22276-0136

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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