Circa 1850 Victorian Silver-on-Gold Diamond Garland Necklace

Created by a jeweller from four pairs of antique Flemish earrings in his personal collection this Victorian garland necklace carries a story of craftsmanship and family. Its floral elements remain intact apart from their original ear hooks and came together beneath silver set diamonds and warm red gold backs. If jewels could speak this one would have a wedding story to tell. Each of the jewellers daughters wore it on her wedding day making it a particularly fitting wedding jewel today and a tangible history of love shared across generations.

Jewellery type: necklace

Condition: Good condition for a jewel of this age. The darkening of the foil-backed settings is consistent with age. The former earring elements remain intact, apart from the removed ear hooks.

Country of origin: Probably Belgium.

Style: Victorian, with floral garland elements characteristic of mid-nineteenth-century jewellery.

Period: circa 1850

Source of inspiration: Nature

Theme: Floral garland

Material: 18K red gold backs, touchstone tested, with silver fronts.

Technique: Foil-backed settings. The rose-cut diamonds and senailles are set over foil, now darkened in the manner expected for their age.

Additional information: A marriage (here, ‘marriage’ means a jewel made from elements of several earlier jewels) assembled by a jeweller from four pairs of antique Flemish earrings from his personal collection. Apart from the removed ear hooks, the individual earring elements have remained intact. His daughters each wore the necklace on their wedding day.

Diamonds: Numerous rose-cut diamonds and senailles, set in darkened foil-backed settings. Rose-cut diamonds and senailles are traditionally described by number rather than by estimated weight, colour or clarity. Their irregular proportions, often compounded by closed settings, make reliable weight estimation and standard grading impracticable while mounted.

We individually screened every diamond in this necklace using the EXA Natural Diamond Detector developed by Magilabs; each test returned a natural-diamond result.

Traditional gemstone associations: Diamonds are traditionally associated with April and with enduring love and clarity.

Hallmarks: No legible hallmarks or other marks were observed.

Dimensions: Length 41.5 cm (16.34 in) See photograph with a millimetre scale.

Weight: 66.40 grams

Adin Reference Nº: 17073-00105

Photography © Adin Fine Antique & Vintage Jewellery.