Antique Locket with Diamonds, Sapphires, and Enamel on Gold and Platinum

Enamleled pieces of jewellery from the late Russian Empire rank among the greatest masterpieces of European goldsmithing. Around 1900, workshops in St. Petersburg and Moscow developed a distinctive design language in which the highest quality goldsmithing, the finest guilloché enameling, and precious gemstones were fused into exquisite masterpieces. In the circles of imperial purveyors such as Fabergé, Bolin, and Khlebnikov, pieces of jewellery of extraordinary technical perfection and artistic elegance were created. This locket was created in St. Petersburg c. 1910 and embodies all the characteristic features of this golden age of Russian goldsmithing. The shield-shaped body of the gold locket is covered on the front with finely guilloché-engraved, translucent enamel. A cobalt-blue enamel border frames the image field and creates a striking contrast to the warm, cream-colored base enamel, which takes on an almost textile-like quality thanks to the delicately shimmering guilloché engravings. The floral ornamentation is particularly beautiful. A delicate wreath of red roses, rendered in polychrome enamel, winds across the surface, giving the locket a painterly effect. Another extraordinary feature is how the gemstones were set directly into the fully enameled surface—a technically demanding process, as the enamel and gemstone settings had to be aligned with the utmost precision. Three natural sapphires in a round star cut provide deep blue accents among green foliage, while a centrally set round old-cut diamond forms the focal point of the composition. A laurel wreath, sculpted and hand-engraved into the gold, forms the outer border around the blue frame. The upper crown is formed by a diamond-set bow, whose settings are crafted from platinum. In total, the locket is adorned with one additional old-cut diamond as well as 42 diamonds in rose, octagonal, and brilliant cuts, totaling approximately 0.77 ct. The diamonds impress with a color grade ranging from rare white to slightly tinted white. As a classic photo medallion, the piece can be opened. Inside are two finely crafted frames that can hold two photographs.

Schätzpreis:€5,980

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