Antique Art Nouveau 1.50Ct White Opal and 15k Yellow Gold Pendant Circa 1900

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique 15 karat yellow gold locket pendant - boxed; part of our diverse collection of antique lockets. This exceptional, fine and impressive Vic...

A fine and impressive antique Art Nouveau style 0.96 carat aquamarine and pearl, 15 karat yellow gold pendant; part of our diverse antique aquamarine jewellery collections. This fin...

A stunning, fine and impressive antique Victorian 2.90 carat opal, 0.25 carat ruby and 15 karat yellow gold floral pendant / brooch; part of our diverse antique jewelry and estate je...

A stunning, fine and impressive antique seed pearl and 15 karat yellow gold pendant / brooch - boxed; part of our versatile antique jewellery collections. This stunning, fine and impressive antique pearl pendant...

18ct gold & silver set Art Nouveau Diamond Opal Pendant/Brooch dated circa 1900 Five round opals with an articulated pear shaped opal drop, very well matched with lively play of colours and iridescence in reds, greens, blues and gold. Set in 18 carat yellow gold claw collets Two main transitional cut (old mine) diamonds 0.70ct. Mix of old mine and rose cut diamonds in an 18 carat yellow gold with “silver Set” channel setting , approx 1 ct total. G/H/I, VS2-SI2. Total diamond weight: approx 1.7carats Setting diamonds in gold with a thin layer of silver, “silver set”, was a technique used in the Georgian/Victorian/Art Nouveau period as white coloured gold and platinum were not yet available. A very thin layer of silver was applied to the gold, on which the diamonds were set, to show them off to their best advantage (as the yellow would reflect and distort the white colour of the diamonds). The Art Nouveau period was a short lived but worldwide movement which reached its peak at the end of the 19th Century and the first decade of the 20th Century. It had its roots in the Pre Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts movements in Britain in the 1860’s. Artists, such as William Morris, took their inspiration from the flora and fauna of nature and rejected the mass industrialisation and mechanisation of the Victorian age. Art Nouveau continued with this theme and has a distinctive appearance with soft, curved shapes and lines and often depicted natural designs such as flowers, birds and the female form. Before the Art Nouveau period, the emphasis had been to design pieces with an emphasis on gem stones, diamonds, rubies emeralds etc. However, during the Art Nouveau period, jewellers adopted the idea of using other semi–precious stones “from nature” such as agate, garnet opal, moonstone, aquamarine and experimented with a wide variety of new techniques e.g. enamelling. The “New Art” style became a worldwide movement encompassing all disciplines of the arts, and world class artists as far afield as Gaudi with his “modernisme” architecture in Spain, Louis Comfort Tiffany in New York with objects, Galle Glass in France and the Liberty & Co Archibald Knox designs in Britain, Jugendstil in Northern Europe and Faberge in Russia. The movement flared brightly but briefly and by 1910 it was already going out of style to be replaced by Art Deco. Detachable 18ct brooch...

Art Deco inspired diamond pendant with dangling diamond. Approximately 1.50 carats of round brilliant diamonds, G/H color and VS2/SI1...

A truly stunning antique pendant is this gorgeous Amethyst and Pearl heart pendant. Crafted in rich and buttery 15ct yellow gold it has a bold look with delicate detailing and an op...

A classic Art Nouveau design, this 15k rose gold necklace features stunning plique-à-jour, Rose Cut diamonds, and beautiful pearls. The centerpiece of the necklace is articulated, hinged in two places so that the flower and pearl drops dangle freely. Three plique-à-jour leaves are translucent—the loveliest matte soft green that fades into subtle purple highlights, clearly done by a master. Each cell of the leaf is filled with plique, with a white metal (platinum or white gold) creating contrast in the center of the leaf. Inside are a channel of bead set Rose Cut diamonds. A flower is suspended from the leaves, with multi-tones of peach to pale yellow that glow against the gold, with a prong-set diamond as its piston. The design work loops over, turning the bail into a scrolling foliate. The 15k gold appears rosy, as it has an incredible patina that shimmers with various hues of pink, gold, and green. “Plique-à-jour” translates from French as “letting in daylight” and is a charming technique used in jewelry throughout the 20th century. To create this effect, colored, transparent enamel is suspended between gold backless cells to allow light to illuminate the piece with vibrant colors, similar to a stained glass window. The flower hangs from a 15k gold classic alternating link chain...