NORTH INDIA, 19TH CENTURY

This exquisite parure exemplifies the traditional Mughal-style jewellery, renowned for blending the kundan technique with intricate enamelling on the reverse side. The enamelling, usually the first element of the necklace to be completed, has been done using the champlevé technique of engraving the metal, a defining characteristic of Indian jewellery-making. Kundan-set gemstones, like in our necklace and earrings, are almost always backed with reflective foil of silver or gold sheet in order to maximize the brilliance of the gems as well as achieving colour uniformity. Indeed ‘the value of Mughal jewellery is, in any case, determined as much by its delicate enamelling and design setting, as by the intrinsic worth of the gemstones used’ (Usha R. Bala Krishnan and Meera Sushil Kumar, Dance of the Peacock: Jewellery Tradition of India, 2010, p.276). A similar fringe of emeralds and border of pearls can be found in a torque necklace sold at Sotheby’s, 8 October 2014, Lot 307. The red enamel background of the roundels recalls the enamelling on a similar gem-set and enamelled necklace sold in these Rooms 2 May 2019, Lot 123.