Victorian circa 1850 Ruby Sapphire Opal Emerald Multi Gemstone 18k Gold Bracelet

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Victorian circa 1850 Ruby Sapphire Opal Emerald Multi Gemstone 18k Gold Bracelet

About the Item

The infinite diversity of the natural world and its wealth of treasures continue to astonish humanity. From the desks of scholars, across the studioli of Italian rulers and royal cabinets of curiosities, to today's natural history museums – for centuries, mankind has sought to collect and organise these wonders of nature. This phenomenon is visible even on a smaller scale, in the field of jewellery. The “Stückleinketten”, which originated in Venice, are famous examples of this practice, dating back to the early modern period. These necklaces, which could also be worn as bracelets, gathered a plethora of brightly coloured gemstones set in gold, and were often worn by daughters of the ruling families in Nürnberg for their wedding celebrations. The jewels indicated social rank and status; and additionally, different health benefits were attributed to the stones, which the young women could reap by wearing them. The Germanic National Museum conserves in its collection a rare example created around 1530 (Inv. No. T4188). In the late eighteenth century, the same fascination for collecting, combined with a growing scientific interest, led to what is today known as the "Ringstein-Kabinett": a specially-made box which contained 30 or more gemstones, that could interchangeably be worn on a hinged ring. The wearer was thus able to express their knowledge of mineralogy, all the while creating adornment suited to any occasion. The bracelet presented here, which was created circa 1850, boasts twenty gemstones from all over the planet, aligned in a colourful row and set in gold. The ruby, topaz, amethyst, citrine, aquamarine, fire opal, turquoise, and many more stones presented here visually represent the creative force that is the natural world – very much in the spirit of its time, as the sciences grew increasingly important even in the field of fine art. John Brett's Glacier of Rosenlaui (1856) for example, or John Everett Millais' portrait of John Ruskin (1853-4) both display an intense interest in geology. The fact that the sequence of stones does not appear to follow any color scheme or recognizable pattern, paired with the observation that their cuts are not uniform, has us suspect that the gems were collected over a long period of time prior to being showcased as a precious collection in a single bracelet. It would not be unlikely that the bracelet’s gold mounting was produced first, without the stones: there have been numerous such occurrences in the history of jewelry. A well-known example lies in the custom of the memory ring, which draws on the idea to set a new gemstone in the ring in commemoration of special events. As the jewel was created over a century and a half ago, it is difficult to conclusively determine the context in which it came to be. It is likely that the bracelet originates from Germany. What is certain, however, is that this rare and therefore collectible object was created in the middle of the 19th century. Like a small „Wunderkammer” for the wrist, it reveals another facet at each glance. An earlier pair of bracelets with multiple coloured gemstones can be found in Brigitte Marquardt: Jewellery. Klassizismus und Biedermeier, 1780-1850, Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz, Munich 1983, p. 198, cat. No. 142. MATERIALS A yellow topaz, oval, faceted, approx. 13,2 x 10,7 x 6,3 mm / 0,52 x 0,42 x 0,25 in 19 different gemstones (incl. ruby, blue Ceylon sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, fire opal, amethyst, peridot, garnet amongst others), round, oval and antique, cabochon-cut or faceted, partly backed with foil, measurements up to 8,7 x 6,9 mm / 0,34 x 0,27 in Gold 585/000, resp. 14 karat DIMENSIONS Length approx. 18,0 cm / 7,09 in Central clasp approx. 2,2 x 1,8 cm / 0,87 x 0,71 in CERTIFICATE The bracelet will be delivered with an independent certificate of the gemmologist Fred Goerg, dated 25.09.2018. Established value: 26.500€. FURTHER NOTES The bracelet should never be cleaned with any kind of fluid, seeing as the intrusion of moisture into the closed-back gemstone settings might lead to tarnishing and thus lessen the impression of the stones.

Metal:
18k Gold
Stone:
Ruby,Blue Sapphire,Topaz,Turquoise,Amethyst,Aquamarine,Beryl,Emerald,Garnet,Lapis Lazuli,Morganite,Opal,Peridot,Quartz
Weight:
35.9 g
Style:
Early Victorian
Place of Origin:
Unknown
Period:
18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1850
Condition:
Very good condition, we set a new opal in the place of the original opal since the stone was cracked.
Seller Location:
Berlin, DE
Reference Number:
Seller: 18-26951stDibs: LU156426595902