18th Century and Earlier Necklaces

The pendant with an interlaced rose-cut diamond frame between white and black enamel, suspending box-shaped bezel set with a single table-cut diamond with black and white enamel deco...

Very rare ca. early 17th century likely Italian or Spanish 19K Yellow Gold Cross Pendant with 24 Diamonds, all of table cut about 2 ctw. Hand - engraved decorations on the back side....

Two-layered agate cameo, red and white, depicting Roman Charity on an amati background. Italy, 16th century H. 3.7 cm - L. 2.9 cm Gold setting, eagle's head hallmark, 19th century H....

This antique amuletic bronze framed pendant cages a dozen 7mm-diameter single-cut rock crystals that each feature a table-cut decagon crown, deep pavilion, 21 facets and uncut girdle, while the culets range from off-center to blunted. They are tightly set within four linked rings to overlap at the same angle in a sparkling single row. Seeming to retain a little of its original yellow-gold gilding on just the interior, the frame that surrounds each of the four sections of three crystals enables them to reflect pale-yellow-and-lime light when the pendant is viewed from certain angles. Suggesting French heritage, the Medieval Frankish culture in northern France made jewelry in similar segmented or openwork shapes of wheels or whorls, which were worn as gem-decorated disk-shaped brooches or gold-caged rock...

In a rare scissor cut dating to the 1500s, this centuries-old prong-set hogback rock-crystal pendant produces a fascinating play of refractions in low light. With its rectangular nar...

This early-16th-Century Renaissance period silver-repousse round medallion pendant features a romantic encounter in a rural landscape between a man and smiling woman wearing European-nobility fashion, including a men's feathered hat, tights and sword. A silversmith was commissioned by this unknown man to make the pendant as a hat badge to promote his affectionate nature, which is conveyed by the welcomed gestures between the adult couple, who stand cheek-to-cheek and hand-in-hand. As there is a church in the distant landscape, this may have been his wedding-engagement announcement. It is worth noting that romantic love via marriage was a rarity before the 18th Century. The tragic romantic Italian legend of Romeo and Juliet was first translated into English for publication in 1562--several decades before Shakespeare turned it into a famous play about a deadly consequence of separating lovers. The pendant medallion is framed with a filigree-like inward-curving bezel and a flat metal backplate, while its bail enables it to be pinned as a brooch or strung on a necklace. A perfect engagement or wedding gift for a man or woman who loves antique...

RELIQUARY PENDANT WITH PEARL Spain or Spanish Netherlands, c. 1620 Gold, rock crystal, enamel, pearl, bone relics Weight 12.9 grams; dimensions 40 ...

With artistic value as a Renaissance chiaroscuro painting, this early 16th-Century period gilt silver-filigree pendant medallion encases a colorf...

The cameo at the center of this exceptional pendant is a stunning example of the art of gem engraving during the Renaissance. It likely dates to the early 17th century and features a sacrificial scene inspired by the Greco-Roman era. The central flaming altar is flanked by two figures preparing to sacrifice a ram, while a figure in a lion skin blowing horns stands in the left corner. The carver brilliantly uses the natural layers of the stone to achieve the illusion of shadow and musculature on the figures. A second, smaller cameo is set at the top of the pendant, while a myriad of multi-colored gems, pearls and enamel adorns the 18K gold setting. A large Baroque pearl suspended from an enamel dragon finishes the design, which embodies the opulence and theatricality of jewels from the Renaissance age. Cameos and intaglios were highly popular amongst wealthy connoisseurs in Renaissance Italy, and owning the finest pieces was the privilege of princes. Although they were often elaborately mounted for display alone, cameos were also frequently worn as pendants, surrounded by enameled and stone-set gold frames. Such pieces were particularly prized by the Medici and Lorraine families, many of which can now be seen at the National Archeological Museum in Florence. Very few Renaissance cameos...

The Gigantas Pendant, an important late 16th century Renaissance baroque pearl, gold and enamelled pendant, with later alterations, depicting one of the Greek gigantes, wearing the i...