Designs for a Hand Fan, Necklaces, Bracelets, and Other Jewelry of the Second Empire

Lithograph with several designs for jewelry in the style of the Second Empire (1852-1870), characterized by extravagant motifs with complex compositions of naturalistic jewelry, composed of clearly recognizable foliage, flowers and fruit. In many cases, the colors of gemstones used in the creation of the jewels were meant to match those in nature; cabochon gems were popular elements to create complexity in curving and figurative designs, often with symbolic meanings. This plate contains a variety of designs, including a large hand fan with garlands of stylized scrolling leaves and flowers, framed with C-curves and offsetting feathers, a necklace with fleurs de lis inside semi-circles formed by strips of diamonds and a ribbon bow motif, a choker with two strips of pearls joined by interlacing ribbons with ribbon bow motifs, and other designs for bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, hair pins, and a watch case, with stylized flowers and leaves, and figurative animal motifs, executed with yellow, red, white, and gray over a black ground, and possibly intended to be manufactured using a combination of yellow gold and silver, possibly platinum, diamonds or brilliants, pearls, rubies, and other (semi-) precious stones.