French Victorian Art Nouveau 18K Gold Diamond Griffin Pendant / Brooch
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Directory: Estate Jewelry: Gold: Art Nouveau: Pre 1900: Item # 1491806
Directory: Estate Jewelry: Gold: Art Nouveau: Pre 1900: Item # 1491806
$3,150.00
A heavy French 18K gold and diamond pendant depicting a mythological griffin. The creature has the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. His open jaws clasp an old mine cut diamond. The diamond is graded as G color, SI1 clarity. Griffins in brooches are often shown in a crouching position, but in this example, the creature is standing upright in a more assertive pose. The piece can be worn as a brooch or as a pendant suspended from the loops at the wing tips. The pendant is stamped with French 18K guarantee marks and with the master goldsmith’s mark “Vve G” for “widow Godivier.” In rare instances, more enterprising French women were able to successfully assume control of the family business after their husbands had died.
- Origin: France, ca. 1904-1911
- Condition: excellent, sharp detail
- Dimensions: 1-1/2” x 1-3/8”
- Weight: 15.1 grams
- Approximate Diamond Weight: .21 carat
