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A late 17th Century diamond cross pendant
$ 26,000.00
Further images
The cross-shaped pendant suspended from a stylised flaming heart surmount, set throughout with rose-cut diamonds mounted within silver, the loop and connecting link in gold, late 17th/early 18th Century. Dimensions:...
The cross-shaped pendant suspended from a stylised flaming heart surmount, set throughout with rose-cut diamonds mounted within silver, the loop and connecting link in gold, late 17th/early 18th Century. Dimensions: Length 4cm x width 2.5cm. Weight: 3.6 grams
Note:
Early jewels are always a treat. The size of the diamonds in this cross make for a rare chance to appreciate the particular charms of an authentic old or 'Baroque' rose-cut.
The term rose-cut covers a wide variety of usually flat-bottomed facetted stones from Gothic times to present. As you can see in this cross alone there are different numbers of facets on each stone and a variation in shape of each stone too (which would be even more obvious if the edges weren't hidden by their silver setting).
The first documented jewel set with a full rose-cut is the 'Fellowship Pendant' housed in the famous Green Vault in Dresden and dates from 1594. Before the late 16th Century these flat-bottomed facetted stones used to embellished more important stones did not follow a formula but rather the cutter worked with the rough material and cleaved facets as he saw fit. However by the turn of the century, a full rose-cut could be defined. This is considered to have 24 facets - the central stone of this cross is a great example. However, they evolved to this and can be found ranging from as little as three facets to the full 24 but crucially these triangular facets angle to a central point creating a peak (by no means always a very high one). The 12 facetted rose-cut with a peak was perfected in Antwerp, the 18 facets in Amsterdam...this is why rose-cuts are sometimes referred to as Antwerp or simply Dutch roses.
It is a mistake to imagine that roses were the only cut in European circulation at the time of this cross...the fashion for facetted stones to accentuate or replace the long-standing favourite the table-cut (or Indian-cut as it was called at the time) had several off-shoots however the other main contender to the rose-cut was the brilliant-cut...which would, as we are all aware, go on to be the dominant cut (in different shapes) in the 19th & 20th Century.
Note:
Early jewels are always a treat. The size of the diamonds in this cross make for a rare chance to appreciate the particular charms of an authentic old or 'Baroque' rose-cut.
The term rose-cut covers a wide variety of usually flat-bottomed facetted stones from Gothic times to present. As you can see in this cross alone there are different numbers of facets on each stone and a variation in shape of each stone too (which would be even more obvious if the edges weren't hidden by their silver setting).
The first documented jewel set with a full rose-cut is the 'Fellowship Pendant' housed in the famous Green Vault in Dresden and dates from 1594. Before the late 16th Century these flat-bottomed facetted stones used to embellished more important stones did not follow a formula but rather the cutter worked with the rough material and cleaved facets as he saw fit. However by the turn of the century, a full rose-cut could be defined. This is considered to have 24 facets - the central stone of this cross is a great example. However, they evolved to this and can be found ranging from as little as three facets to the full 24 but crucially these triangular facets angle to a central point creating a peak (by no means always a very high one). The 12 facetted rose-cut with a peak was perfected in Antwerp, the 18 facets in Amsterdam...this is why rose-cuts are sometimes referred to as Antwerp or simply Dutch roses.
It is a mistake to imagine that roses were the only cut in European circulation at the time of this cross...the fashion for facetted stones to accentuate or replace the long-standing favourite the table-cut (or Indian-cut as it was called at the time) had several off-shoots however the other main contender to the rose-cut was the brilliant-cut...which would, as we are all aware, go on to be the dominant cut (in different shapes) in the 19th & 20th Century.
