Antique Georgian Garnet Turquoise Flower Rivière Necklace

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Antique Georgian Garnet Turquoise Flower Rivière Necklace

About the Item

This stunning piece of Georgian finery was once property of Princess Amelia, King George III's favourite daughter who sadly suffered a premature death. Unlike the majority of her estate, which was left to her illicit lover General Charles FitzRoy, this necklace - along with a handful of other jewels - was left to her sister Mary, as per the princess's Will. It is mentioned in The Romance of Princess Amelia, by WS Childe-Pemberton: "The will of her late Royal Highness was opened by her executors the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge (her eldest and her youngest brothers) on the day after her death. The contents of it, by which she left whatever she had, with trifling exceptions, to General the Honourable Charles FitzRoy, though not likely to give satisfaction to her family, could not have surprised them. 'Her Royal Highness' (we quote General FitzRoy), 'left to the Prince of Wales a Sardonix snuff box with a picture of King Charles the First; to the Duke of Cambridge some pictures of the Princess Mary; to the Princess Mary some turquoises and garnets and a garnet watch, and everything else without reserve, jewels, plate, furniture, books, papers, clocks, trinkets, whatever money she might possess at her decease, except what was necessary to pay her quarterly bills, she leaves entirely to Lieutenant-General Charles Fitzroy.'" Sadly, the death of his daughter Amelia is though to have strongly contributed to the King's madness, triggering a power struggle between factions of parliament under the conservative William Pitt the Younger and the reform-minded Charles James Fox. This remarkable necklace, with provenance, comprises 12 flat cut garnet flowers with turquoise centres and turquoise link connectors - and a garnet drop of the same period (although not original to the piece). The closed flat backs are a lovely rose coloured gold and hold the stones in two-piece collet settings. The drop has a hook on its back and can easily be added or removed from the rivière.

Metal:
9k Gold,Rose Gold
Stone:
Garnet,Turquoise
Weight:
41.5 g
Dimensions:
Length: 15.5 in (393.7 mm)
Style:
George III
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1800
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Note that the drop is not original to the necklace.
Seller Location:
Sale, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 56441stDibs: LU17322540943