c.1830 French Pink Topaz Aquamarine Demi-Parure

A lovely c. 1830 French Parisian demi-parure, comprising of a floral festoon necklace and brooch in 18k yellow gold, set with approx. 31.49 ctw of pink topaz, 28.93 ctw of aquamarine, and 6.5 ct of blue topaz, all within the original fitted and tooled Moroccan leather box. The brooch contains a hooked attachment to reverse, allowing it to be worn as a pendant; the ram’s head hallmark to its clasp was in use in Paris between 1819-1838. The topazes have been GIA certified. A similarly formed pink topaz festoon necklace, also dated c. 1830, was sold by Christie’s in 2007 (lot 251 Sale 1890). A swiss enamel version from the 1830s, also with pink topaz, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (number M.36-1962). The present set belongs to a group of demi and full parures made in Paris between 1820-30s, coinciding with the reign of Charles X during the Bourbon restoration. The return of monarchy in France renewed a demand for pomp and splendor amongst the elite of society. A post-war gold scarcity had encouraged the creation of jewelry that maximized the visual appearance of gold; those with cannetille filigree and granulation dominated 1820s design, while those with repoussé and sheet-work defined that of the 1830s. Gems used were almost always citrines, colored topazes, beryls such as aquamarine, and chrysoberyl; all directly sourced from the Minas Gerais mines following the restoration of trade with Brazil around 1825. Topaz in particular was a well-beloved and prized gem since the 18th century. It occurs mostly commonly in colorless and brown colors; pink to red topaz, caused by a chromium impurity, are rarely found in nature and highly prized during the era before modern color treatments via irradiation. Prior to the discovery of sources in Brazil, topaz was mined in the Ural mountains of Russia. Indeed, pink specimens were so prized that ownership was restricted to the family of the Czar. The ‘imperial’ moniker stayed; even today, fine colored topaz from Minas Gerais, Brazil are still referred to in the trade as imperial topaz.
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