Antique Art Deco pendant necklace. Platinum pendant set with diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz (citrine), on a later 14k white gold chain. Believed to be made in Great Britain or the USA, circa 1925–1930s.
Accompanied by an independent gemstone report.
Measurements:
Combined weight is 5.8 grams. Chain is 18 5/8 inches (47.5cm) long. Pendant approximately 3/4 inch (2cm) at its widest.
Description:
In the shape of a Japanese folding fan. This acrostic pendant spells out the word DEAREST, using the first letter of each gem: Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire and citrine for Topaz. See The Story below. The colored stones are calibré-cut, set above pavé-set diamonds that form the sticks of the fan, and a larger trapeze-cut diamond forms the head, where the sticks meet. Like many antique fans, it has a loop below the head, from which a real fan would have hung from a lady’s wrist or finger. A curved row of calibré-cut rubies and millegrain borders add detail and interest.
Synthetic rubies were widely used for calibré work during the Art Deco period, and the rubies here may well be synthetic (untested).
The 14k white gold chain is not original to the pendant and is included for your convenience. It is a fetter and three chain (a paperclip-style chain), with one long link followed by three small ones. Spring ring clasp.
Marks and Metal:
Pendant is unmarked, apart from a very faint hand-engraved number on one side, visible only in certain light, probably a jeweler’s or owner’s mark. The chain is marked 14k.
Condition:
Good, with wear commensurate with age. As noted in the gemstone report, the colored stones show abrasion to their crowns (the top surfaces), and two stones have small chips. None of this is visible to the naked eye, but mentioned for the sake of accuracy. Please see enlarged pictures and don’t hesitate to ask questions, which we will do our best to answer.
THE STORY:
For centuries, jewelry has been a vehicle for secret messages of love and devotion. Acrostic jewelry is a little puzzle: take the first letter of each gem and put them together to make a word or a name. Napoleon gave his second wife a pair of bracelets with their names spelled out by the initials of the gems, and the fashion became especially popular in England. Rings with gems spelling REGARD (ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, diamond), DEAR (diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby) or DEAREST are highly, highly sought after by knowledgeable antique jewelry collectors. They combine the challenge of the hunt with the fun of the novelty.
Reading some acrostic jewels takes a little imagination or knowledge. Citrine and smoky quartz were both sold as “topaz” at a time when gemological knowledge was more limited than it is today, so the golden stone that completes DEAREST here is a citrine.
The most common form of acrostic jewelry is the Victorian ring. Art Deco acrostic pendants are far more unusual, and we have never seen another in the form of a Japanese fan. Workmanship in jewelry perhaps reached its zenith during the Art Deco period, and the setting of this pendant is a fine example. Having lasted about a century, this pendant will hopefully give pleasure to many future generations of lucky ladies.
