18th c Spanish Iberian Emerald Pendant

A gorgeous Iberian pendant, made in Cordoba, Spain during the third quarter of the 18th century, and encrusted with 71 individual table-cut emeralds weighing approximately 4 ctw within a setting and body of chased, filigree-worked, articulated, and granulated high-carat 18k yellow gold. The upper element features a rosette roundel with an urn-shaped finial, framed by a fanciful four-looped bow with lace-like floral edging and reticulated foliate sprays. Called a lazo by the Spanish and popularized by the Marquise de Sévigné in France, bow-shaped bodice ornaments were considered the height of style during the 18th century. The central element, with its stylized rendering of a floral spray, is adapted from popular French-inspired rococo designs of the day, and is related to giardinetti rings from the same period, while the bottom element, a tear-shaped drop with emeralds in a rosette setting can also be found in Spanish pendant earrings. This pendant would have been originally worn on a ribbon inserted through the wide loops attached along the reverse. Sometime during the 20th century, it was fitted with a bail and brooch fittings. Typical for the period, the back is heavily punched three times with a lion sergeant hallmark and the letters ‘CO’ (probably a regional mark for Cordoba, Spain). For a large pendant dating from the same period, with an almost identical upper bow element, refer to Victoria & Albert Museum object M.84-1913.

The pairing of bright high-carat gold with emeralds is a color palette iconic in its association with 17th-18th century Iberian jewelry. Since the 16th century, Spain’s maritime exploits had cemented its status as a leading power during the Age of Sail. A global mercantile empire had brought in raw materials for Spanish jewelers in abundance: silver from Mexico and Bolivia; gold and emeralds from Colombia; coral and pearls from Central and South America; rubies from Southeast Asia; and other precious gems from Brazil and India. In particular, emerald mines in Columbia, Brazil, and Peru were notably rich; by the 17th century, the very best Spanish jewellery (such as the magnificent Crown of Andes) came to be associated with a feverish use of emeralds. These pieces are at once delicate and bold, full of exuberant energy, and instantly brings to mind the narratives of a specific place and era.