Jewels & More: Online Auction New York Monday, May 23, 2022 | Phillips

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    • Circa 1830

    • Triangular carnelian plaques
      Oval-shaped cabochon jadeite
      Cushion-shaped rubies, 0.10 ct.
      18K yellow gold, length approximately 2 inches

      For similar examples please see:

      Literature:
      David Bennet & Daniela Mascetti, Understanding Jewelry, Suffolk, England (1989), page 89, plate 94 and

      Please note the reverse contains human hair under glass and is bezel set as was common practice with Memento Mori jewelry

  • Catalogue Essay

    Rock crystal is a colorless quartz and named from Greek for ice, ‘krystallos’. Over the centuries it has been used for a multitude of uses, such as glazing for memento mori and jewels enclosing hair, time pieces, orbs or ‘pools of light’, and even as diamond simulants. Georgian jewelers commonly created rivière of silver backed cushion-shaped rock crystal in collet settings. They would often paint a black dot on the culet to simulate the scintillation or flashes of light and dark in natural diamonds. These are often referred to Stuart crystals and black-dot rock crystal. Few survive today as many were sacrificed to different war efforts throughout history. We are delighted to be able to offer such a well-preserved example.

PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR

568

A Georgian Carnelian, Jadeite, Ruby, and Gold 'Momento Mori Maltese Cross' Pendant

Circa 1830
Triangular carnelian plaques
Oval-shaped cabochon jadeite
Cushion-shaped rubies, 0.10 ct.
18K yellow gold, length approximately 2 inches

For similar examples please see:

Literature:
David Bennet & Daniela Mascetti, Understanding Jewelry, Suffolk, England (1989), page 89, plate 94 and

Please note the reverse contains human hair under glass and is bezel set as was common practice with Memento Mori jewelry

Estimate
$1,500 - 2,500 

Sold for $1,386

Contact Specialist

Eva Violante
Head of Sale, Senior Specialist
eviolante@phillips.com
212 940 1316

Jewels & More: Online Auction

Online Auction 23 May - 3 June 2022