Filigree Brooch with Natural Pearl & Diamonds in Platinum & Gold, c. 1910

"What was the first precious stone to captivate man? Probably the pearl, since its beauty was immediately revealed when the shell opened, for the pearl need not be cut or polished, and its discovery was probably a by-product of foraging." Francis Stopford, The Romance of the Jewel, London 1920. The pearl and the diamond were long equals in jewellery history, for until the early 20th century, each pearl had to be individually dipped for. The vast majority of shells did not bear pearls - mother-of-pearl buttons were then cut from their valves. But if a shell contained a pearl, the joy was all the greater, because these were extremely precious due to their rarity. Especially beautiful, large pearls were rarely found. Often these were then chosen as the center of fine jewellery. The large, baroque pearl in the center of this brooch must once have been the lucky day's find of a pearl diver. It has a slightly baroque shape and is overlaid with a shiny lilac hue, in which green reflections can also be seen. Starting from the pearl, a filigree net of platinum wires and old European cut diamonds spans a rectangular basic shape. Milgrain settings add further light reflections to the play of light from the diamonds. The extremely fine workmanship and delicate design of the brooch are typical of jewellery of the period around 1910, when jewellery for the evening increasingly dissolved into a mesh of the finest wires and diamonds that looked like they were floating freely. One achieved this appearance by working a thin layer of platinum on gold. The colouration of the pearl blends beautifully with the ethereal overall appearance. A wonderful piece of craftsmanship of the Belle Époque!

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