18th century Spanish Emerald Pendeloque Earrings

A pair of c.1760-80 Spanish pendeloque earrings, set with 78 table-cut natural emeralds (about 4 ctw) in chiseled and openworked 18k yellow gold. The original hinge-and-hook-catch ear wires have been preserved, and each pendant bears a lion passant gold punch from the workshops of Córdoba, Spain. A near-identical pair is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession no. 1980.343.24, .25). Another pair, dated by the authors as c. 1760, is illustrated on p. 109 of “Georgian Jewellery 1714-1830” by Ginny Redington with Olivia Dawes. A less ornate example is in the Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke collection, published on p. 55 of “Schumck Aus Drei Jahrtausenden: Sammlung Hanns Ulrich Haedeke”. Yet another is illustrated on p. 55 of “Earrings from Antiquity to the Present” by Daniela Mascetti & Amanda Triossi. Surviving design drawings from neighboring Italy and France, dated c. 1760-70, show that by the late Rococo period, the essential form of these pendeloque earrings were fully matured and widespread across Europe. Each pendant consists of a circular cluster ‘head’ topped with a foliate finial, followed by a bow-shaped central element, and finished with a pear-shaped drop. Whereas earlier girandole earrings feature horizontal forms, pendeloques stress verticality of lines and motion, reaching the height of popularity between 1770-80, during the heyday of massive wigs; the elongated shape of these earrings helped to counterbalance the extreme height of hairstyles during the late Rococo era. Regional variations can be found in the workmanship details and materials. Spain, due to maritime expansion during the Age of Sail, enjoyed access to Colombian emerald mines at Muzo and Chivor. Spanish-made pendeloques therefore feature a signature pairing of high-carat gold with emeralds, rococo design influence from neighboring France and Portugal, and more conservative local workmanship practices preserved from the previous century (e.g. table cut stones, boxed rub-over collet settings, scalloped trims and edges).
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