Design for a Gold Hook Earring with Turquoises, Diamonds and a Black Pearl
Drawing with a design for a gold hook earring with turquoises, diamonds and a black pearl that is part of a collection of 85 drawings with figurative designs for earrings, brooches, pendants and other jewels, possibly real-sized, created with graphite and gouache and heightened with gold inside lithograph frames. These designs are all characteristic of the period between 1870 and 1900, when jewelry design saw a great degree of innovation and creativity in both style and technique. Some of the most important innovations that took place at this time included the setting of diamonds without metal on the back to reinforce the refraction of light on the cut surfaces of the stones, and the use of gold granules and cannetille (scrolls of metal strips) in the creation of fine metal surfaces. (Semi-)precious stones continued to be used in jewelry design at this time, especially with the discovery of diamond mines in South Africa, although alternative techniques, many of them inspired on ancient jewelry, were also common: Enamel in its different application techniques (including champlevé, cloisonné, and low-relief) was particularly popular. In addition to enamel, colored glass was used to add touches of color to the metallic structures that formed the base of the jewels. In general, jewelry design during this period became more complex, and the colors in nature were mimicked by the color of gemstones used for jewelry design: the designs were 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 century, 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. The European Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as civilizations of the Mediterranean, and even Japan, became important sources of inspiration for jewelry design at this time.
This design for a gold earring is made up of a gold hook that holds a gold roundel with a small rosette with a central round diamond and five turquoise petals, flanked on the bottom by gold scrolling motifs that hold a small round diamond and a teardrop-shape black pearl on the bottom and are decorated by a horizontal strip of four square-cut turquoises below the roundel with the rosette. Turquoises were very popular at the time when this design was created, drawing inspiration from Maghreb and the Mediterranean civilizations. They could have been replaced in the creation of the manufactured jewel by blue enamel, a technique that was very popular at the time. Alternatively, the turquoises, as well as the black pearl, could have been replaced by blue-colored and black-colored glass stones, a technique also popular at the time. This drawing for an earring was created over a lithograph cream frame with a light-brown ear, to show how the earring would look like when worn.
This design for a gold earring is made up of a gold hook that holds a gold roundel with a small rosette with a central round diamond and five turquoise petals, flanked on the bottom by gold scrolling motifs that hold a small round diamond and a teardrop-shape black pearl on the bottom and are decorated by a horizontal strip of four square-cut turquoises below the roundel with the rosette. Turquoises were very popular at the time when this design was created, drawing inspiration from Maghreb and the Mediterranean civilizations. They could have been replaced in the creation of the manufactured jewel by blue enamel, a technique that was very popular at the time. Alternatively, the turquoises, as well as the black pearl, could have been replaced by blue-colored and black-colored glass stones, a technique also popular at the time. This drawing for an earring was created over a lithograph cream frame with a light-brown ear, to show how the earring would look like when worn.
Artwork Details
- Title: Design for a Gold Hook Earring with Turquoises, Diamonds and a Black Pearl
- Artist: Anonymous, French, 19th century
- Date: ca. 1870–1900
- Medium: Lithograph, ink, gouache and gold pigment
- Dimensions: Sheet: 9 1/8 in. × 6 in. (23.1 × 15.3 cm)
- Classifications: Drawings, Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
- Object Number: 59.564.18
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Anonymous, French, 19th century
Pannier Frères
ca. 1900
Anonymous, French, 19th century
late 19th century
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1849
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1849
Anonymous, French, 19th century
Claude Gillot
1855
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.