18th c French Rococo Ruby Pendant

A charming c. 1750-70 French Rococo pendant, set with 49 Burmese natural unheated pink sapphires / rubies (GIA certified), weighing approx. 5.48 ctw. The pendant is essentially girandole in form, featuring a top element adapted from ribbon bows with drooping loops, a central body, and three suspended drops. During the 18th century, pendants of this type would have been worn high on the neck with a ribbon choker, the dangling elements free to move and sparkle under candlelight. The sinuous, curling foliate scrolls reflect a full maturation of the Rococo style, with its flirty interplay between movement and color. In particular, the pendant’s shell-shaped finial is especially representative of mature Rococo design; this same shell motif can be found on various furniture and decorative arts from the same era, often as finials capping the tops of cabinets and giltwood frames.

Pendants of this form were made throughout Europe during the 18th century, with marked regional distinctions. Those made in France feature especially refined workmanship, with compact, well-controlled shapes and lines, settings of high-carat gold, and smooth convex posteriors. German examples are generally set in gilt-silver, and feature stronger, bulkier shapes and lines. Flemish and northern European variants feature a mix of silver and gold setting, with sharper contours, and distinct scrollwork marking the bezels. Spanish and Italian examples are almost always set in smooth rub-over collets, with unstrained, less controlled workmanship and contours. While surviving examples from south and central Europe are comparatively abundant, pendants of French origin are very rare (likely as a result of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars). For a similar, but slightly earlier French pendant of the same type, see Christie’s South Kensington Sale 5383 Lot 155. For a South European example, see Musée des Arts Décoratifs No. 9938. Two German examples are in the Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke collection (cat. 379 & 380, “Schmuck Aus Drei Jahrtausenden Sammlung Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke”).
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