VICTORIAN French Antique 3 Carat Rose Cut DIAMOND Drop 18k Gold Silver Collet Teardrop Necklace Enamel 17"

ABOUT:

One of my most special pieces. Like little sparkling raindrops, this original French antique necklace is a Provincial piece from the Victorian era constructed in 18k gold and silver set with 19 rose cut diamonds cut in triangular, pear and round shapes.

The chain is a rich, buttery 18k gold, with some warm rosy highlights especially to the loops connecting each collet setting. Each of the diamonds are set in 18k gold and silver collets, which are then prong set into larger silver topped settings, as was customary for the time to set diamonds in white metal (it was thought to increase their brilliance).

No missing stones, parts or pieces, the 9 diamonds connecting to the chain continue down to added dangles in teardrop shapes with rivet and leaf details. So the piece drapes and moves beautifully with all the independent pieces connected by loops.

The piece has a great antique look with dark patina to the silver and warmth to the diamonds typical for pieces of this age.

As an added bonus, the delicate cable chain concludes with a French traditional floral and shell enameled barrel clasp at the back, another lovely design element.

Hallmarked for French 18k gold at the clasp and at the loop of one of the drops.

This 1800s sparkler would be a beautiful something old for a bride! It could also be worn in the hair with an up 'do or crown dangling towards the back. The piece has such beautiful movement.

MEASUREMENTS:

Chain is 17 inches long stretched end to end. The longest center dangle is 1.6 inches from the top of the largest diamond to the bottom of the two little leaves. It weighs 18.65 grams.

The majority of the rose cuts are 3 to 4mm each (measuring the visible portion of the stones,) with the two larger diamonds in the center measuring at 5mm and 6mm, and two little ones at the bottom on the leaves. The diamonds widen out in the closed collet settings an unknown amount and exact depth of each is also unknown as I would never remove them from their antique settings, but just using online estimations by millimeter I am getting a conservative carat weight estimate of around 3 carats total give or take. All the diamonds have flat backs and the tops have triangular facets to really catch the light and add sparkle. Like most rose cuts these have a lower comparative carat weight to a modern diamond but the surface area gives it the appearance of a larger carat stone. A round modern brilliant diamond with 1 carat total weight has a diameter of around 6.5mm for comparison's sake and to give you an idea of scale. These don't have that depth of modern stones for carat weight, but they still have the eye catching impact.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

All my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. Completely functional, the clasp works really well to tightly click shut. Some loss to the enamel. Chain is dainty but sturdy and in good condition. Quite a lot of patina to the silver which can be polished up some but typically my buyers prefer original patina.

About the antique diamonds - these were all originally closed settings with foiled backs. Now, all but four of the settings have an opening in the domed back to allow light to pass through. Some still have the remaining foil in the recesses and outside edges, but it looks like the small openings were added to brighten up the diamonds by allowing that bit of extra light.

Jewels of this period were meant to sparkle in the low light of candlelight and fireside dinners. With time, the foil often discolors and causes a warmer hue to the diamonds so it looks like that was why the backs were opened. It's possible the backs could be cleaned up further through the openings but as of now the diamonds read warm to gray with a few having a brighter clarity, like the larger diamonds in the lowest teardrop dangle, because the back is more widely open. They still have a lovely sparkle when the surfaces catch the light.

These typical antique rose cuts do have inclusions as was common for the period. They also have some nicks, a rough or frosty edge here or there, or a shallow flake of loss leaving a tiny frosty spot. This is mostly seen under magnification, they all appear complete to the eye, with variation to the hues and the foil remnants making it more difficult to detect any nicks and inclusions unless using a loupe. Although if you are really studying it and catch the surface in a reflection you might detect the frosty spot. One of the smallest ones has a tiny hairline crack. So there are definitely signs of age to these very old diamonds, but all the diamonds are secure and stable in the collets so the piece is perfectly wearable and really regal looking. Such a beautiful design with a wonderful draping antique look, dangling movement and sparkle.

But of course Due to age, please note this is not a mint condition item. Feel free to request additional photos and videos as I have many others besides the 10 allowed here.

I dearly love, collect, use and sell antiques so please check out my other listings and thanks so much for stopping by my shop!

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