Design for a Gold, Diamond, Ruby, and Pearl Pendant in a Scrapbook with Jewelry Designs in Watercolor and Gouache

ca. 1870–1930

Not on view

Drawing with a design for a gold, diamond, ruby, and pearl pendant, part of a modern scrapbook with 22 sheets showing designs for jewelry with pearls, diamonds and other (semi-)precious stones all done in watercolor and heightened with gold, characteristic of the period between 1970 and 1930, which saw some of the most extravagant and innovative trends in jewelry design. By the second half of the nineteenth century, the naturalistic compositions of earlier decades had become more complex, and the colors in nature mimicked by the color of gemstones used for jewelry design. In the last years of the century, designs for jewelry had become even more elaborate and relied in the natural beauty of cabochon gems, curving, and figurative designs with symbolic meaning, typical of the Arts and Crafts movement. Towards the end of the nineteenth and through the first decades of the twentieth century, diamond jewelry was re-interpreted to create the new 'garland style', and the Art Nouveau movement created sinuous and organic pieces that moved away from conventional stones and put emphasis on the subtle effects of materials such as glass, horn and enamel. During the 1920s, the economic boom following the war saw an increased glamour in jewelry design, with sharp, geometric patterns that celebrated modernity and the machine age. Art Deco jewelry is characterized by dense concentrations of gemstones and the use of platinum in place of gold, with inspiration from all over the world, especially from the Near and Far East.
Like most of the drawings in the album, this design is fully rendered with gouache, showing not only the styles for the jewelry designs, but also suggesting choices of precious metals, stones, and other materials to be used in the creation of the jewels. It is also possible that these designs are real-sized, allowing the customer to visualize the jewel fully from this presentation drawings before commissioning its manufacture.
This design for a pendant is made up of a rosette with a gray pearl in the center and diamond and ruby petals inside an oval-shaped frame of diamonds. The frame consists of an oval-shaped string of diamonds with four square interlacing motifs decorated with a gray pearl and with diamond laurel leaves between them. The hasp of the pendant is of gold and diamonds.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Design for a Gold, Diamond, Ruby, and Pearl Pendant in a Scrapbook with Jewelry Designs in Watercolor and Gouache
Date: ca. 1870–1930
Medium: Ink, Watercolor, and Gouache
Dimensions: Sheet: 9 1/2 × 6 3/16 in. (24.1 × 15.7 cm)
Classifications: Albums, Drawings, Ornament & Architecture
Credit Line: Gift of Leon Grinberg, 1953
Object Number: 53.626.2(12)
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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