Napoleon III Half Set In Gold, Pink Garnets, And Fine Pearls In Its Original Case

A Napoleon III-era half-set consisting of a brooch and a pair of matching earrings, presented in their shaped case.

Crafted in 750/°° yellow gold (18 KT, eagle-head hallmark), the set features a remarkable architectural composition blending geometric lines and floral motifs. The straight, openwork, and interlocking structures create a particularly graphic design, softened by finely crafted and chiseled plant motifs in the gold.

The brooch and earrings are accented with pink garnets, whose rich hues lend a beautiful depth of color to the yellow gold, and delicate fine pearls that create small pearlescent sparkles within the design.

The brooch features a particularly elaborate construction: its geometric architecture is enlivened by floral motifs and extended by several articulated elements. Teardrop-shaped pendants, which are also movable, follow the brooch’s movements and lend lightness and flexibility to this otherwise highly structured composition.

The earrings echo the same decorative language: a play of openwork rectangles, flowers and foliage, pink garnets, and small fine pearls. Composed of several interconnected articulated elements, they offer a lovely movement when worn that contrasts with the rigorous geometry of their design.

This combination of architectural construction, naturalistic decoration, and movable elements is characteristic of a portion of Second Empire jewelry production, a period during which jewelry readily played on contrasts in materials, openwork compositions, and suspended ornaments. French half-sets from the 1860s–1870s preserved in public collections bear witness to this pursuit of lightness and movement.

The half-set is preserved in its original green grained leather case, the interior of which is lined with blue velvet, with each piece fitting into its designated compartment. The presence of this antique case particularly well complements this set, which has survived to the present day in its original presentation.

French work from the Napoleon III period, second half of the 19th century.

Total gross weight: 19.70 g, of which 7.54 g is for the earrings alone

Length of the brooch: 7.5 cm / of the earrings:  5 cm

Width of the brooch: 4.37 cm / of the earrings: 1.51 cm

Thickness of the brooch (excluding the clasp): approximately 7.8 mm

Thickness of the earrings: from 5.72 to 8.19 mm

Condition: The jewelry and its case are in very good condition; there are imperceptible micro-scratches and natural inclusions characteristic of garnets that are not visible when worn.

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Our reference: HS23106