A pendant of genuine quality and considerable rarity — a heart-shaped green tourmaline set in platinum, surrounded by pearls, with rose cut diamonds tapering down the platinum sides to a dangling pearl drop. The front is platinum, the reverse 15ct gold — a combination typical of the finest French jewellery of the early 20th century, where platinum was used for the visible setting and gold for the structural elements behind.
French jewellery of this period occupies a category of its own. Where British Edwardian pieces tended toward restraint, French makers of the 1920s pushed the possibilities of platinum and fine stones further, the compositions more adventurous, the overall effect lighter and more refined. This pendant exemplifies that approach: the heart-shaped tourmaline framed in a setting of real delicacy, the rose cut diamonds arranged to lead the eye down to the pearl drop in a composition that is both structured and graceful.
The tourmaline is a vivid green — a colour the French particularly favoured for its contrast against the white of platinum and pearl. The rose cut diamonds retain the soft, broad facets characteristic of the period, producing a gentle warmth quite unlike a modern brilliant cut. The dangling pearl drop completes the piece with characteristic French elegance.
Era: c.1920
Hallmarks:
Tests as Platinum and 15ct gold. Makers mark "A*P"
Dimensions:
Height 24mm
Width 16mm
Jump ring 3.5mm x 2mm
Tourmaline 8mm x 7.5mm
