c. 1700 South European Emerald Cross

A c. 1700 south European late Baroque cross pendant, set with approx. 2.2 ctw of table cut emeralds in a setting of 18k yellow gold. The workmanship details — indented and scalloped ‘pie crust’ collets, acanthus-type foliate scrolls — are characteristic of the 17th – 18th century transition, appearing c. 1680 and persisting into the first quarter of the 18th century. The chiseled openwork foliate form also represents a transition of late Baroque design into that of the Rococo, and can be distinguished from the latter by its fuller, more sculptural appearance. Crosses of this specific design is well documented: an example with emeralds in the Victoria & Albert Museum is illustrated on p. 247, fig. 28 of “Gioielli di Sicilia” by Maria Concetta di Natale; another with rubies is in the Hanns Ulrich Haedeke collection, illustrated on p. 192 of “A History of Jewels” by J. Anderson Black, as well as p. 262, cat. 335 of “Schmuck Aus Drei Jahrtausenden” by Hanns Ulrich Haedeke. In her book, Maria Concetta di Natale argues for an Italian origin for this design, attributing the work to jewelers of Palermo, Sicily; similar pendants can be found in various Scilian convents (e.g. Confraternita di Maria santissima della Mercede al Capo di Palermo, Convento dei Padri Carmelitani). However, other sources attribute this type to Spain; surviving drawings from the Jewel Codex of Guadalupe show gold and emerald pendants with similar design characteristics. It’s likely these crosses were made in both Spain and southern Italy. Following the end of the Habsburg–Valois Wars in 1559, Italy was splintered between Austrian control of the north and Spanish Habsburg control of the south. Spanish influence over southern Italy, where important jewelry-making centers were located, persisted throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, leading to a shared “grammar of design” in jewelry made in both regions during this era.
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