Description
Date: c. 1820-30, Late Georgian period
Materials: Sardonyx shell (Cypraecassis Rufa), Mediterranean coral, Persian turquoise, solid 15k gold throughout (including earring wires and clasp), except for 12k gold cable links in four locations [unmarked; tested with electronic gold tester & nitric-muriatic acid]
Weight: 72.5 grams total (49.3 g necklace, 12.8 g pendant / brooch, 10.4 g earrings)
Workmanship origin: British goldwork setting, Italian cameos
Dimension of necklace: 44.7 cm (17.6 in) long, 26.9 mm wide (at max point)
Dimension of pendant: 63.7 mm long, 58.9 mm wide
Dimension of earrings: 60 mm long, 13.8 mm wide (at max point)
Dimension of cameos: 15 total— one 28 x 17 mm rectangular, two 22 x 13 mm rectangular,, two 18 x 13 mm rectangular, one 12 x 8 mm oval, five 11 x 8 mm rectangular,, two 9.5 x 7.8 mm oval, two 20 x 11 mm pear
Diameter of carved corals: 5.5 mm (largest) – 3.6 mm (smallest)
Diameter of turquoise: 3.6 mm (largest) – 3 mm (smallest)
Condition: touch up restoration to the lower left ‘ray’ of the cross pendant, later support braces added to the back of the left side ‘rays’. One small granulation bead missing at right tip of pendant. One small granulation bead missing to the necklace (very difficult to notice). Chip to upper left corner of head of baby eros cameo (left earring). Four cameos with a age-related hairline to corner (stabilized; note— shell is an organic material and can develop hairlines with age). A treatment of mineral oil was applied during the last year to keep the shell cameos from drying. A thin treatment of hxtal nyl-1 (museum-grade non-yellowing jeweler’s epoxy) was applied to the back edges of the cameos, as a safety measure to prevent them from falling out of the settings. In general, age-related patina and surface wear throughout. Overall in excellent original condition.