INDIA, LATE 19TH/EARLY 20TH CENTURY

This necklace features typical elements of traditional Mughal-style jewellery. As well as the kundan setting and the enamelling on the reverse side, the necklace's primary focal points are the two carved emeralds. During the period of the Mughal Empire, the finest emeralds were imported from modern-day Colombian mines and were considered a particularly spiritual gemstone, partly due to sharing their colour with the green of Islam. The combination of their rarity and the spiritual significance ensured that emeralds were highly sought after in the Mughal courts and as such, often served as central elements in jewellery pieces.

The necklace includes two of the most recognisable forms of emeralds in traditional Indian jewellery. Firstly emerald beads, which were traditionally manufactured through the method of tumble polishing. This technique generated beads of irregular form but was historically preferable as it preserved maximum stone volume. The second, more distinctive design, is the carved octagonal or hexagonal form, exemplified by the ‘Taj Mahal Emerald’ sold in these Rooms, 19th June 2019, Lot 388. The geometric form was originally used as it was a cross-section of the naturally hexagonal emerald crystal and once again preserved the maximum volume of the raw gemstone. Moreover the broad, flat faces of this cut allowed master lapidaries to carve floral designs in low relief, becoming a distinctive aesthetic feature of Mughal jewellery. An emerald and diamond necklace with similar geometric emerald design was sold at Sotheby’s London, 24 October 2018, Lot 175.