1845 AMETHYST PARURE - opinions please

[nottospec]

Hello CS lovers...

Found this jewellery set in an antique shop, hubby loves it (I actually do to) but wanted some objective opinions.



It is an amethyst parure , 15ct gold in a bloom finish, from 1845? (Georgian) period. The gold work is very fine and delicately done, called cannetille. Everything detaches, ie the cross from the necklace (can be worn on a chain) the bottom part of the earrings so the earrings only have a small drop. The cross and single amethyst have pins to be worn as brooches also.

I think while it is ornate, its wearable. Thoughts?

 

[chrono]

Only if you have to have it and would wear it often enough to make it "worth it". Stone-wise, there is nothing special about the amethysts. The metal work, however, is in a totally different league! What you are paying for is essentially the workmanship which just isn't done like that anymore these days, or if it is, costs an arm and a leg.

 

[JewelFreak]

Very beautiful, very. If it's genuine, it would not date later than the 1830s. Cannetille work first appeared in 1820, hit its height around 1830 & then suddenly went out of style & disappeared. Short time of popularity, but I think it's one of the most beautiful jewelry techniques.

Reproductions (or fakes) are still being made, so check it carefully. The jewels in these pieces were foiled & set with a closed back. Very rarely (& expensively) were they un-foiled & open-set. So check the backs. I suspect foiling from your photos because the amethysts are well saturated & almost unnaturally well matched, but it's impossible to be sure from pictures.

The fact that these are amethysts is a positive: most cannetille jewelry contained inexpensive gems & amethysts were plentiful. Cannetille became popular for a couple of reasons. After the Napoleonic wars Europe experienced a depression affecting both upper & lower classes. Cannetille was labor-intensive (labor was cheap during the economic downturn) to make but required less gold than flat pieces. At the same time there was a nostalgic, romantic interest in embroidered peasant clothing of the past -- cannetille kind of reproduced it in jewelry. These were pieces even the upper-middle classes could afford.

Whether you wear it depends on your taste and the places you go. If genuine, it's stunning. More flexible in that parts come off & can be worn separately. I wish I could give you some idea on reasonable price to help judge whether it's actually historic, but have no idea.

Did you take those great photos? I'm impressed! I'd also love to know if you decide to buy it -- I adore cannetille and amethysts!

--- Laurie

 

[dk168]

I love convertible jewellery, and this parure would tick a lot of boxes for me except for the colour of the gold work as I wear white metals only.

Beautiful craftsmanship, and the colour of the stones is nice too.

DK

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Very interesting parure. I remember seeing something similar in a book so I went to look it up.

Miller's Guide has this to say:

"The necklace above [a 5 stone festoon necklace] is an excellent example of a fine-quality, early 19th century piece. The setting is cannetille, a type of fancy gold wirework produced in England and Italy c1810-1830. The technique fell out of favour by the 1840s, replaced by bigger, pressed out settings. Cannetille is fairly fragile and therefore easily damaged. Check that none of the gold florets or balls is missing and avoid pieces with visible lead solder repairs as these will reduce value.

The setting of this necklace comprises florets formed from twisted gold wires ans set with tiny gold balls. Amethysts were expensive an rare stones in the early 19th century. For this reason, they were reserved for very high quality jewelry, though similar quality necklaces were also set with less costly stones such as tourmalines, citrines and topaz. A early 19th century "amethyst" necklace with a poor quality setting is unlikely to be genuine.

- Gold necklaces made before 1854 should be 18k but are not normally hallmarked. A piece that looks early but is market with a lower carat weight, such as 12k or 15k, may be a later copy."

You can read more about cannetille work here: http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Cannetille

Before the discovery of the huge amethyst deposits in Brazil, amethyst was mined in Siberia and it was considered one of the "top" gems, along with sapphires, rubies and diamonds. It was even used in both ecclesiastic and royal jewelry (there are a couple of amethyst parures still in use by some royal houses). However, the Brazilian find led prices to plummet and amethysts began to be used in much lower quality jewelry.

 

[minousbijoux]

I am happy that Jewelfreak weighed in on this for you. It certainly makes me feel better to hear her say that it looks like the real deal and she is as familiar as she is with its time period and the technique. I, admittedly knowing very little, while thinking it was certainly beautiful (love the rich gold with the purple), immediately thought it was a repro.

 

[gemmyblond]

I remember that there was another gorgeous antique amethyst parure for sale at The Three Graces awhile ago (website is georgianjewelry.com). Not sure if it's ok for me to post a link here, but if you go there and search the sold items for it, you'll see it, item 11041. The description has some good info about this type of piece and also where to find out even more.

 

[innerkitten]

It's totally gorgeous. I wouldn't care about perfect stones with a set like that.

 

[JewelFreak]

Lady D, you & Lang are right about amethysts before the major deposit was found. Good correction; I goofed on that. If the OP looks for closed backs on the gems & no evidence of molds or soldering, I'd go for the beautiful thing, depending on price & possibility of wear. Those elements being ok, it has a good chance of being genuine. Bezeling around the stones is even & consistent; it looks like skilled work in the pics, at least. The necklace & brooch clasps might tell her something about its age -- but they could always have been replaced at some time.

If genuine, it has to be at least 10 yrs older than the store dates it. Victoria came to the throne in 1837 & by '45 this kind of piece wasn't being made. Sotheby's had a cannetille necklace at auction several years ago & I nearly died of pure greed.

--- Laurie

 

[nottospec]

Very beautiful, very. If it's genuine, it would not date later than the 1830s. Cannetille work first appeared in 1820, hit its height around 1830 & then suddenly went out of style & disappeared. Short time of popularity, but I think it's one of the most beautiful jewelry techniques.

Reproductions (or fakes) are still being made, so check it carefully. The jewels in these pieces were foiled & set with a closed back. Very rarely (& expensively) were they un-foiled & open-set. So check the backs. I suspect foiling from your photos because the amethysts are well saturated & almost unnaturally well matched, but it's impossible to be sure from pictures.

The fact that these are amethysts is a positive: most cannetille jewelry contained inexpensive gems & amethysts were plentiful. Cannetille became popular for a couple of reasons. After the Napoleonic wars Europe experienced a depression affecting both upper & lower classes. Cannetille was labor-intensive (labor was cheap during the economic downturn) to make but required less gold than flat pieces. At the same time there was a nostalgic, romantic interest in embroidered peasant clothing of the past -- cannetille kind of reproduced it in jewelry. These were pieces even the upper-middle classes could afford.

Whether you wear it depends on your taste and the places you go. If genuine, it's stunning. More flexible in that parts come off & can be worn separately. I wish I could give you some idea on reasonable price to help judge whether it's actually historic, but have no idea.

Did you take those great photos? I'm impressed! I'd also love to know if you decide to buy it -- I adore cannetille and amethysts!

--- Laurie

Thanks for the information! Wow.

The back of the maltese cross pendant and earring drops is close backed but the necklace stones, brooch and top part of the earrings is open backed. What do you think that means?

 

[innerkitten]

Very beautiful, very. If it's genuine, it would not date later than the 1830s. Cannetille work first appeared in 1820, hit its height around 1830 & then suddenly went out of style & disappeared. Short time of popularity, but I think it's one of the most beautiful jewelry techniques.

Reproductions (or fakes) are still being made, so check it carefully. The jewels in these pieces were foiled & set with a closed back. Very rarely (& expensively) were they un-foiled & open-set. So check the backs. I suspect foiling from your photos because the amethysts are well saturated & almost unnaturally well matched, but it's impossible to be sure from pictures.

The fact that these are amethysts is a positive: most cannetille jewelry contained inexpensive gems & amethysts were plentiful. Cannetille became popular for a couple of reasons. After the Napoleonic wars Europe experienced a depression affecting both upper & lower classes. Cannetille was labor-intensive (labor was cheap during the economic downturn) to make but required less gold than flat pieces. At the same time there was a nostalgic, romantic interest in embroidered peasant clothing of the past -- cannetille kind of reproduced it in jewelry. These were pieces even the upper-middle classes could afford.

Whether you wear it depends on your taste and the places you go. If genuine, it's stunning. More flexible in that parts come off & can be worn separately. I wish I could give you some idea on reasonable price to help judge whether it's actually historic, but have no idea.

Did you take those great photos? I'm impressed! I'd also love to know if you decide to buy it -- I adore cannetille and amethysts!

--- Laurie

Thanks for the information! Wow.

The back of the maltese cross pendant and earring drops is close backed but the necklace stones, brooch and top part of the earrings is open backed. What do you think that means?

Maybe they foiled the part that would be against your skin and left the earrings open so the light would shine through. Just guessing.

 

[pregcurious]

You can post items for sale, but Trade members cannot without prior permission.

 

[yennyfire]

I have absolutely nothing of value to add from a technical perspective, but it sure is lovely and I love how versatile it is! If you think you'd wear it even once a month and the price is reasonable, I'd go for it.

 

[OTL]

Drop dead gorgeous. Couldn't be more prettier.

 

[JewelFreak]

The back of the maltese cross pendant and earring drops is close backed but the necklace stones, brooch and top part of the earrings is open backed. What do you think that means?

Nottospec, I wish I were more of an expert. My first guess is that some of it was made at different times. Foiling was commonly done in Georgian jewelry, especially in the 18th century when style dictated that diamonds or white stones were almost the only stones used. Foil backs of silver or gold enclosed in the metal backing lent a tint to them. By the 2nd half of the 18th century colored stones came back into vogue. Probably the customary setting -- a closed back -- lingered on into the early 19th century.

I wonder if part of that parure was an upgrade. For instance, maybe the cross originally hung from a chain & some lucky woman's adoring husband had the necklace made to match it several years later. The earring hanger parts could have attached to something else or to different tops. Royal families change jewelry pieces around frequently in redesigns. It's just a guess, but I can't think of another reason they'd be different.

This info comes from a blog on antique jewelry & might help you when you look at the pieces: There are some very convincing cannetille reproductions masquerading as much older than they are so caution is advised when purchasing. In the Victorian era, cannetille style jewelry was sometimes made in molds by the English; if you examine it very closely with or without a loupe you can generally see that it is made all from one piece of cast metal rather than many fine soldered pieces. Mold-made pieces are obviously not as valuable although they can still be desirable. It certainly looks handmade to me, but without seeing it IRL, it's impossible to be sure. I think it is an absolutely fascinating find, besides being stunningly beautiful.

As to value, the demi-parure below appeared on Antiques Roadshow in May of this year. The appraiser estimated auction value (different from retail) at $8K to $12K. Yours has more pieces, and from what I see in pics, looks like much finer work. I also like the amethysts better from the little I can tell. How does that compare to the price asked by the seller?

 

[nottospec]

The price is in that range (upper end though) !!

I liked the parure the first time I saw it but wondered if it was "a bit much". Hubby found it on the internet and made an appointment to have a look. That's where I found the 1920s zircon ring from my other post in SMTB. There is also a matching brooch for the zircon ring..... maybe Santa will be VERY good to me and I will find the parure and the brooch under the tree! OMG!

 

[JewelFreak]

I hope so!! Write Santa a nice letter & tell him how good you've been! Maybe you could bargain the price down a bit; it's always worth a try.

Because that is a beautiful parure with extraordinarily skilled workmanship, even if I didn't wear all the pieces, I would find it a worthwhile buy. You probably wouldn't use necklace and cross together, for instance, but could wear them separately at different times. The upper parts of the earrings can dress up or down, & for real dressy stuff, add the drops. Brooches are coming back in style & that one is a total knockout; honestly, I don't think Queen Elizabeth has anything nicer. (I love brooches & wore them when they weren't "in" because they're pretty.)

Jewelry as investment is somewhat unpredictable, but about this parure, there is this: cannetille work is so delicate that pieces break off, bend, generally get scruffy. Therefore the supply is always dwindling -- and it's already seen rarely. If examination shows this one to be genuine hand-made cannetille, it is a superb example, the only kind worth buying, in my opinion. I would not spend even $8K on the Antiques Roadshow one -- it has seen better days & doesn't show the skilled work & has yucky amethysts. Demand for antique jewelry, like other things, goes up & down depending on style, but excellence always will bring a solid price, even if not the record as if it were in hot demand.

So let's hope Santa's been watching & gets his elves busy. If he doesn't leave it under your tree, give him my address & tell him extra extra cookies await him. Please let me know if it twinkles at you Christmas morning!!

--- Laurie

 

[iLander]

I'm a bit stunned and amazed at Laurie's knowledge on this stuff.

I know who to ask if I have a question about antique jewelry.

To the OP; that is a stunning piece, very beautiful indeed.

 

[T L]

The Swedish Royal House has a very beautiful amethyst suite just to compare, and Queen Mary's amethysts of the British Royal Family.

BTW, it may be my computer screen, but are the top pics actual photos of the piece, or computer generated? They look a little too perfect on my screen. Thanks.

 

[nottospec]

Hi TL,

Thank you for posting those pictures. Those pieces are a completely different ball game!!!'

The pictures of the parure I am looking at are photos off the web site. Granted they are prob professional photos

 

[Kim Bruun]

Very interesting thread - I enjoyed reading about the historical background. And whether the set is authentic or "made in the style of", it's absolutely beautiful - very glamourous and romantic!

 

[nottospec]

OMG, we had our family get together yesterday as we are going away and santa came early and left the parure under the tree!

Pictures to follow......

 

[JewelFreak]

YOU'RE KIDDING!!! I'm ecstatic! (More so if it were under MY tree.) Pics please! As soon as you can. I am so entranced by that parure. Ok, we have to figure out where you'll wear it first.

--- Laurie

 

[chrono]

Pictures as soon as you can please! And congrats on the gorgeous set.

 

[nottospec]

Hi everyone!

This is how the parure arrived ....... unfortunately not the original box



When shopping today with hubby and the kids and decided to give the parure her first outing in her new home...



Wore her with a singlet and jeans (but I did have heels on) haha, I thought why the h*ll not!

 

[Enerchi]

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, indeed!! yay Santa came thru! It's outstanding And to think, you wore it out shopping You are my kinda jewelry gal! This is amazing....enjoy!!!

 

[nottospec]

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, indeed!! yay Santa came thru! It's outstanding And to think, you wore it out shopping You are my kinda jewelry gal! This is amazing....enjoy!!!

Thanks Enerchi, a very merry Christmas to you too!

I wear all my jewelry, it is there to be enjoyed and worn for all occasions!

 

[JewelFreak]

Oh, YAY for you, Nottospec!! It is stunningly gorgeous & every other superlative I can't think of. The ammies look super & the gold is to die! Goes great with your dark hair, too. I'm just totally thrilled it has come to live with you instead of some dope who might split it up or not take good care of it. Happy endings (beginnings in this case) are wonderful. I'd wear that beauty with my jammies, everywhere but the shower!

I've hardly been more thrilled about anything I've seen on PS, or anywhere else. Your DH is a keeper! (With great taste.) LOVE wearing it! And thanks so much for the photos; they make my day. Merry, merry Christmas!

--- Laurie

 

[clairejune]

OMG, utterly breathtaking! What a total universe it itself! Beyond amazing. You have a true treasure. One from the earth and from the amazing mind, life experience and skill of a master gold smith! Merry Christmas to you! What a great husband you must have!

 

[kgizo]

That looks amazing on you!! What a special Christmas present from your DH.