French Art Nouveau 18K Gold & Seed Pearl Rose Blossom Festoon Necklace
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Directory: Estate Jewelry: Gold: Art Nouveau: Pre 1900: Item # 1466670
Directory: Estate Jewelry: Gold: Art Nouveau: Pre 1900: Item # 1466670
A very fine French Art Nouveau 18K yellow gold festoon necklace comprising three gold plaques exquisitely engraved in a pattern of roses and their foliage. The plaques are curved to create a "festoon" look, and are suspended from a gold chain set with natural seed pearls. The backs of the plaques are lightly engraved with a reverse image of the roses—a hidden luxury that speaks to the quality of the piece. Each plaque also includes stems with pronounced thorns, perhaps as a reminder of the selflessness of love. Victorian floriography adoped red roses to represent love from the myth of Aphrodite and Adonis. As she raced to the side of her fallen mortal lover, Aphrodite pricked her toe on the thorn of a white rose and her blood forever stained the flower red. The necklace is stamped with French 18K gold marks, and with an illegible maker's mark.
- Origin: France, ca 1895
- Condition: excellent
- Dimensions: necklace length, 16-3/4"; central plaque, 1-7/8" wide, 1-1/4" high
- Weight: 21.9 grams
