AN IMPORTANT ANTIQUE SAPPHIRE, DIAMOND AND PEARL PENDANT/BROOCH

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THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN

Details

AN IMPORTANT ANTIQUE SAPPHIRE, DIAMOND AND PEARL PENDANT/BROOCH
The central cushion-shaped sapphire weighing 13.86 carats within the old-cut diamond eight-stone surround to the fleur-de-lys spacers and surmount, suspending a drop-shaped pearl with diamond-set cap, mounted in silver and gold, circa 1885, 7.7 cm. high
Accompanied by report No. 981366 dated 15 September 2006 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that the sapphire is of Kashmir origin, no evidence of heat treatment

Accompanied by report No. 981367 dated 20 September 2006 from the Precious Stone Laboratory, London, stating that the pearl was found to be natural

Provenance

Lady Helen Hermione Blackwood (1865-1941), the eldest daughter of the 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, Viceroy of India 1884-1888, and thence by descent

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Further details

END OF SALE

Lot Essay

Kashmir sapphires have a supreme beauty and rarity which has led them to become the most desired of all sapphires. Their reputation is owed to a brief period of intensive mining in one valley in the Zanskar range of the Himalayas between 1881 and 1887, but continued until 1925. Two of the most characteristic features of a Kashmir sapphire are its deep cornflower blue colour and velvety appearance, created by a layer of tiny inclusions commonly referred to as silk.

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