The clasp of this necklace was originally a brooch of Russian provenance, probably created circa 1860. Serpents were an extremely popular motif in 19th Century jewellery. They first found favour in early Victorian England, from which period one can see numerous examples. The necklaces and bracelets were often set with turquoise or enamelled with diamond detail. Brooches most often were diamond-set, sometimes with a larger diamond collet or conch pearl to the centre, as can be observed in lot 428 of this catalogue. The motif of the serpent biting its tail, or as in this clasp, of twin serpents, was meant to symbolise eternity.