1/2 Regional Tradition Parure, Brooch & Earrings/rose Gold, Enamel Miniatures 1840-1860
A remarkable demi-parure, comprising a brooch and a pair of drop earrings, presented in its original red leather case lined with cream velvet, attesting to its exceptional state of preservation.
The presence of French hallmarks allows us to definitively attribute this parure to French jewelry production:
The ram's head, a hallmark for 750/1000 (18 KT) gold introduced in 1838, confirms a later date and places its manufacture during the July Monarchy or the Second Empire.
The eagle's head, a hallmark also used in the 19th century for 750/1000 (18 KT) gold pieces.
These hallmarks attest to the control exercised by French assay offices and indisputably place this parure within the Parisian jewelry circuit or the major French provincial centers active in the production of high-quality jewelry.
The settings are exquisitely crafted, adorned with black and white champlevé enamel forming stylized floral motifs of quatrefoils and scrolls. This decorative treatment, combining repoussé and chasing, is entirely consistent with the production of the Parisian workshops of the Marais and Palais-Royal districts, which excelled in this type of jewelry, known as "de style" or "regional subject" jewelry, highly prized during the reigns of Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III.
The earrings reveal a two-part design, demonstrating the care taken in their ergonomics as well as their versatility:
The upper part is a freestanding sleeper earring, adorned with a lozenge-shaped medallion set with an enameled miniature depicting a bust-length portrait of a woman in regional costume. This sleeper earring, worn alone, is already a truly elegant piece of jewelry, suitable for both formal and more intimate occasions.
The lower part, the detachable pendant, attaches to the sleeper earring with a clasp characteristic of 19th-century French jewelry. It takes the form of an elongated shuttle-shaped pendant, centered on a large enameled miniature depicting a full-length female figure in traditional Alpine costume—striped apron, dark skirt, colorful bodice—swaying gracefully with the movement of her head. This modularity, far from being anecdotal, was a sought-after characteristic of fine French jewelry of the period. It allowed its fortunate owner to adapt her set to suit the occasion: daytime simplicity with just the earrings, evening magnificence with the addition of the pendants. This ingenious construction is the hallmark of the finest Parisian workshops, keen to offer their clientele maximum versatility without ever sacrificing the overall aesthetic harmony.
The central decoration consists of five miniatures painted on enamel—two per earring, one on the brooch—executed with a finesse indicative of a specialized Parisian miniaturist, of which there were many practicing in the capital in the mid-19th century. The brooch features a bust portrait of a young man in traditional Alpine costume, in vibrant colors (blue, red, yellow), evoking the festive attire of the Alsatian, Savoyard, or Swiss regions as romantically perceived and depicted by French artists of the time.
The sleeper earrings are each adorned with a delicate female bust portrait against a neutral background, respecting the conventions of Romantic miniature portraiture.
The pendants, meanwhile, offer true miniature genre scenes, with full-length female figures in their natural surroundings, poetically evoking the idealized Alpine peasant life as seen through the Parisian lens of the era.
This set reflects the French Romantic and Second Empire taste for jewelry with picturesque and regional themes. Paris was then the world center of jewelry making, and the grand workshops of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré and the Marais district produced abundant pieces combining enameled gold and figurative miniatures for a wealthy clientele with a taste for Alpine exoticism and references to European folklore.
This trend, fueled by the success of Alpine travelogues and theatrical performances with Tyrolean or Savoyard themes, led many Parisian jewelers—among whom one might mention Froment-Meurice, Mellério, or Fontenay—to produce narrative jewelry blending technical virtuosity with poetic evocations of popular traditions.
The case, with its octagonal shape characteristic of Parisian jewelers of the period, confirms the French origin of the piece.
Thanks to its French hallmarks, its ingenious modular structure, and the exceptional quality of its enameled miniatures, this demi-parure can be firmly attributed to French jewelry of the second quarter of the 19th century. It constitutes a precious testimony to the art of Parisian miniature enameling combined with Romantic taste.
Total gross weight: 21.24 g
Jewelry dimensions:
- Brooch: length 3.80 cm / width 3 cm
- Earrings: total length: 7.10 cm, earring only: 2.13 cm, pendant only: ........... cm
width: earring: ..,..... cm, pendant: ....... cm
Miniature dimensions:
- Brooch: length 3.80 cm x width 3 cm
- Earrings: earring: length 1.27 cm x width 9.32 mm
Pendant: length 3.83 cm x width 1.31 cm
Condition: imperceptible micro-scratches on the gold parts, minute enamel losses on the floral motifs, barely noticeable due to the design of these motifs, miniatures in perfect condition.
Payment can be made entirely online via the website, or in 4 installments via PayPal, up to a maximum of €2,000.We are available to answer any questions you may have regarding alternative payment methods or any outstanding balances for purchases exceeding this amount.
Are you a business? Please contact us directly at the store!
Our reference: HS21931
The presence of French hallmarks allows us to definitively attribute this parure to French jewelry production:
The ram's head, a hallmark for 750/1000 (18 KT) gold introduced in 1838, confirms a later date and places its manufacture during the July Monarchy or the Second Empire.
The eagle's head, a hallmark also used in the 19th century for 750/1000 (18 KT) gold pieces.
These hallmarks attest to the control exercised by French assay offices and indisputably place this parure within the Parisian jewelry circuit or the major French provincial centers active in the production of high-quality jewelry.
The settings are exquisitely crafted, adorned with black and white champlevé enamel forming stylized floral motifs of quatrefoils and scrolls. This decorative treatment, combining repoussé and chasing, is entirely consistent with the production of the Parisian workshops of the Marais and Palais-Royal districts, which excelled in this type of jewelry, known as "de style" or "regional subject" jewelry, highly prized during the reigns of Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III.
The earrings reveal a two-part design, demonstrating the care taken in their ergonomics as well as their versatility:
The upper part is a freestanding sleeper earring, adorned with a lozenge-shaped medallion set with an enameled miniature depicting a bust-length portrait of a woman in regional costume. This sleeper earring, worn alone, is already a truly elegant piece of jewelry, suitable for both formal and more intimate occasions.
The lower part, the detachable pendant, attaches to the sleeper earring with a clasp characteristic of 19th-century French jewelry. It takes the form of an elongated shuttle-shaped pendant, centered on a large enameled miniature depicting a full-length female figure in traditional Alpine costume—striped apron, dark skirt, colorful bodice—swaying gracefully with the movement of her head. This modularity, far from being anecdotal, was a sought-after characteristic of fine French jewelry of the period. It allowed its fortunate owner to adapt her set to suit the occasion: daytime simplicity with just the earrings, evening magnificence with the addition of the pendants. This ingenious construction is the hallmark of the finest Parisian workshops, keen to offer their clientele maximum versatility without ever sacrificing the overall aesthetic harmony.
The central decoration consists of five miniatures painted on enamel—two per earring, one on the brooch—executed with a finesse indicative of a specialized Parisian miniaturist, of which there were many practicing in the capital in the mid-19th century. The brooch features a bust portrait of a young man in traditional Alpine costume, in vibrant colors (blue, red, yellow), evoking the festive attire of the Alsatian, Savoyard, or Swiss regions as romantically perceived and depicted by French artists of the time.
The sleeper earrings are each adorned with a delicate female bust portrait against a neutral background, respecting the conventions of Romantic miniature portraiture.
The pendants, meanwhile, offer true miniature genre scenes, with full-length female figures in their natural surroundings, poetically evoking the idealized Alpine peasant life as seen through the Parisian lens of the era.
This set reflects the French Romantic and Second Empire taste for jewelry with picturesque and regional themes. Paris was then the world center of jewelry making, and the grand workshops of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré and the Marais district produced abundant pieces combining enameled gold and figurative miniatures for a wealthy clientele with a taste for Alpine exoticism and references to European folklore.
This trend, fueled by the success of Alpine travelogues and theatrical performances with Tyrolean or Savoyard themes, led many Parisian jewelers—among whom one might mention Froment-Meurice, Mellério, or Fontenay—to produce narrative jewelry blending technical virtuosity with poetic evocations of popular traditions.
The case, with its octagonal shape characteristic of Parisian jewelers of the period, confirms the French origin of the piece.
Thanks to its French hallmarks, its ingenious modular structure, and the exceptional quality of its enameled miniatures, this demi-parure can be firmly attributed to French jewelry of the second quarter of the 19th century. It constitutes a precious testimony to the art of Parisian miniature enameling combined with Romantic taste.
Total gross weight: 21.24 g
Jewelry dimensions:
- Brooch: length 3.80 cm / width 3 cm
- Earrings: total length: 7.10 cm, earring only: 2.13 cm, pendant only: ........... cm
width: earring: ..,..... cm, pendant: ....... cm
Miniature dimensions:
- Brooch: length 3.80 cm x width 3 cm
- Earrings: earring: length 1.27 cm x width 9.32 mm
Pendant: length 3.83 cm x width 1.31 cm
Condition: imperceptible micro-scratches on the gold parts, minute enamel losses on the floral motifs, barely noticeable due to the design of these motifs, miniatures in perfect condition.
Payment can be made entirely online via the website, or in 4 installments via PayPal, up to a maximum of €2,000.We are available to answer any questions you may have regarding alternative payment methods or any outstanding balances for purchases exceeding this amount.
Are you a business? Please contact us directly at the store!
Our reference: HS21931
6 900 €
Period: 19th century
Style: Napoleon 3rd
Condition: Excellent condition
Material: Gold
Length: broche: 3,80 cm bo totale: 7,10 cm, dormeuse seule 2,13 cm, pendant seul 3,83 cm
Reference (ID): 1730921
Availability: In stock
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