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Zhao Mengjian, Narcissus, mid-13th century, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279)

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Zhao Mengjian (Chinese, 1199–before 1267), Narcissus 南宋 趙孟堅 水仙圖 卷, mid-13th century, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Handscroll; ink on paper. Image: 13 1/16 in. × 12 ft. 3 1/4 in. (33.2 × 374 cm) Overall with mounting: 13 7/16 in. × 32 ft. 7 3/16 in. (34.1 × 993.6 cm). Ex coll.: C. C. Wang Family, Gift of The Dillon Fund, 1973. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1973.120.4 © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Zhao Mengjian, a member of the Song imperial family and an accomplished scholar and calligrapher, specialized in painting narcissi and raised the flower to the level of the orchid in the esteem of scholars. Offering the promise of spring, the narcissus is known in Chinese as the "water goddess" (shuixian) or the "goddess who stands above the waves" (lingbo xianzi). The fragrant blossoms are associated with the two goddesses of the Xiang River and, by extension, with Qu Yuan (343–277 b.c.), author of Li Sao (On Encountering Sorrow). Qu Yuan, a loyal minister of the state of Chu, drowned himself in a tributary of the Xiang River after failing to alert his prince of the imminent danger threatening the state.

In a poem appended to the scroll after the Mongol conquest, the Song loyalist Qiu Yuan (1247–after 1327) describes Zhao's narcissi as the only vision of life in an otherwise devastated land: 

The shiny bronze dish is upset, 
and the immortals' dew spilled;
The bright jade cup is smashed, 
like broken coral.
I pity the narcissus for not being 
the orchid.
Which at least had known the 
sober minister from Chu.

This work is exhibited in the "Masterpieces of Chinese Painting from the Metropolitan Collection" exhibition, on view through October 11th, 2016. 


Attributed to Huang Zongdao, Stag Hunt, Northern Song (960–1127) or Jin (1115–1234) dynasty

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Attributed to Huang Zongdao (Chinese, active ca. 1120), Formerly Attributed to Li Zanhua (Chinese, 899–936), Stag Hunt 北宋/金 傳黃宗道 舊傳李贊華 獵鹿圖 卷, Northern Song (960–1127) or Jin (1115–1234) dynasty. Handscroll; ink and color on paper. Image: 9 11/16 × 31 1/16 in. (24.6 × 78.9 cm) Overall with mounting: 10 1/8 in. × 22 ft. 7 1/4 in. (25.7 × 689 cm). Edward Elliott Family Collection, Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1982. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1982.3.1 © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

As he hits his prey, the hunter on his pony is ready with a second arrow in his left hand. The powerful horse is shown in an animated “flying gallop,” with bulging muscles suggesting the frenzied excitement of the chase, while the delicately rendered deer presents a moving portrait of a gentle victim and death.

Hunting was an ancient aristocratic pastime, especially favored as a pictorial theme by the naturalized nomad painter Prince Li Zanhua, to whom this painting was once attributed. By the late Northern Song period, scholar-critics had begun to treat the hunting scene as an allegory of violence and greed. Both the painting style and the psychological interpretation of the subject matter suggest an early-twelfth-century date for this work.

An unusually fine collection of colophons is attached to the scroll. In 1352 Zhu Derun (1294–1365) attributed the painting to Li Zanhua. Three other fourteenth-century colophons are followed by a poem by the great Suzhou painter Shen Zhou (1427–1509). The senselessness of violence, as portrayed by the hunt, is lamented by all the colophon writers. 

This work is exhibited in the "Masterpieces of Chinese Painting from the Metropolitan Collection" exhibition, on view through October 11th, 2016. 

Brûle-parfum tripode, 12e siècle, dynastie Song (960-1279)

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Brûle-parfum tripode, 12e siècle, dynastie Song (960-1279), grès, Hauteur : 0.09 m. Paris, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques, MA4196. Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Thierry Ollivier

Vase bouteille, 12e siècle, dynastie Song (960-1279)

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Vase bouteille, 12e siècle, dynastie Song (960-1279), grès, Hauteur : 0.27 m. Paris, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques, MA4182Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Thierry Ollivier

Lave-pinceaux en forme de fleur de mauve "kui hua shi bixi", dynastie Song du Nord (960-1127)

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Lave-pinceaux en forme de fleur de mauve "kui hua shi bixi", dynastie Song du Nord (960-1127), grès à couverte céladon craquelé, Hauteur : 0.05  m, Diamètre : 0.17 mParis, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques, MA726Photo © Musée Guimet, Paris, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Benjamin Soligny / Raphaël Chipault

Objet de lettré, influencé par l'art de l'orfèvrerie, ce pot à pinceau s'inspire des coupes en argent, à poucier et anse annulaire. C'est un des premiers exemple de ce type d'accessoire de lettré.

Gold and the Gods: Jewels of Ancient Nubia on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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Winged Isis Pectoral, Nubian, Napatan Period, Reign of Amaninatakelebte, 538–519 BC. Gold. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.

BOSTON, MA (June 23, 2014)—A world-class collection of jewels from ancient Nubia at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), will go on view this summer in Gold and the Gods: Jewels of Ancient Nubia. The MFA’s collection of Nubian adornments is the most comprehensive outside Khartoum—the result of an early 20th-century expedition by the Museum with Harvard University. The exhibition opens on July 19, and includes works by Nubian goldsmiths and jewelers, who were among the most innovative in the ancient world. Featuring some 100 excavated ornaments dating from 1700 BC to AD 300, which will be on view in the Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation Gallery, the exhibition explores the royal tombs of kings and queens, which were filled with elaborate jewelry such as necklaces, amulets, stacked bracelets and earrings. The MFA is unique in its ability to mount an exhibition of Nubian jewelry and adornment drawn exclusively from its own collection. In addition to gold––Nubia’s most important commodity––jewelry in the exhibition incorporates precious materials such as lapis lazuli (imported from Afghanistan), blue chalcedony (imported from Turkey), amethystine quartz and carnelian, as well as enamel and glass––both of which were rare and valuable new technologies at the time. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated MFA Publication on Nubian jewelry.

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Bracelet with image of Hathor, Nubian, Meroitic Period, 250–100 BC. Gold, enamel. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.

The Nubian Nile valley was home to highly sophisticated and dynamic cultures, and their spectacular jewelry demonstrates the technical skill and aesthetic sensitivity of Nubian artisans. Few people are familiar with this fascinating civilization––it might even be called the ‘greatest ancient civilization you’ve never heard of,’” said Denise Doxey, Curator, Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art at the MFA. 

The people of ancient Nubia (known in antiquity as Kushites) occupied the land between Aswan in the north and Khartoum in the south. Their neighbor to the north was Egypt, a formidable state with a rich material culture that looked to Nubia for exotic luxury goods such as ivory, ebony, animal skins, ostrich eggs and gold. Gold was an especially valuable commodity in the ancient world––as it is today––and Nubia was the main source of this precious metal. Gold was also a sacred substance, associated in both Egypt and Nubia with the powerful sun god, Amen-Re. Gold nuggets were worn as amulets in Nubia, and ritual objects made of stone or wood were frequently covered in gold foil.

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Mask of Queen Malakaye, Nubian, Napatan Period, Reign of Tanwetamani, 664–653 BC. Gilt silver. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.

The exhibition focuses on centuries-old royal ornaments, including both uniquely Nubian objects and foreign imports, which were prized for their materials, craftsmanship, symbolism, innovation and rarity. An incredible range of objects are on view, many of which are extremely rare and in pristine condition, such as the Hathor-headed crystal pendant (743–712 BC). This work is the only example of a pendant featuring Hathor, goddess of love and motherhood, on a crystal orb, and was discovered in the tomb of a queen at el-Kurru, the burial place of the early rulers of the Napatan Period (the era between the mid-eighth and the late fourth centuries BC). Cylindrical amulet cases such as this were worn suspended from the neck, and were believed to have special powers. Found buried with the dead, some have contained sheets of papyrus or metal inscribed with magical texts. 

One of the most important aspects of the Museum’s Nubian holdings is the archival component, such as photos and drawings from the excavations. These materials provide a vital context in which to understand where, how, and why jewelry was worn and appreciated. In the exhibition, we have taken advantage of the MFA’s resources, incorporating enlarged excavation photos on the walls and smaller images on select labels,” said Yvonne Markowitz, Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator of Jewelry at the MFA. 

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Hathor-Headed Crystal Pendant, Nubian, Napatan Period, Reign of Piankhy (Piye), 743–712 BC. Gold, rock crystal. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.

Elaborate jewels accompanied the burials of Nubian queens at el-Kurru, including three-dimensional pendants made of  precious metal and hard stone, such as the Amulet of Maat (743–712 BC). Gold amulets, gold finger and toe caps and funerary masks of precious metal, such as the gilt-silver Mask of Queen Malakaye (664–653 BC), adorned the tombs’ royal mummies. From the nearby cemetery at Nuri comes the stunning Winged Isis pectoral (538–519 BC), made of gold, which depicts the goddess wearing an intricate bead-net dress and a throne-shaped headdress––the hieroglyph for her name. In her hands she holds hieroglyphic symbols meaning “the breath of life.”  

Throughout antiquity, jewelry was imbued with magical meanings—wearing it was literally a matter of life or death. The Kushites created elaborate amulets to protect the wearer from evil, and their tombs were filled with an abundance of these objects. Winged goddess pectoral(743–712 BC) depicts a nude, winged faience goddess crowned with a sun disc, uraeus (serpent) and feathers. Amulets like these could have been intended to ensure the resurrection and rebirth of their owners, or to place them under the direct protection of the great gods. Others were believed to repel malevolent spirits.  

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Double Hathor Head Earring, Nubian, Meroitic Period, 90 BC–50 AD. Gold, enamel. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.

The glass industry was especially advanced in ancient Nubia beginning in the fourth century BC, when craftsmen perfected the process of enameling on metal, and could boast the first use of brownish-red enamel in the ancient world. An example of this new technology is theBracelet with image of Hathor (100 BC). The work draws on the tricolor symbology common in ancient Egypt—namely, blue, green and red. The bracelet is composed of three parts, with the colored enamel decoration filling the negative spaces and showcasing a seated figure of the goddess in the center. Meroitic rulers (from the Nubian city of Meroe, which flourished between 300 BC–AD 364) adopted many distinctive royal accoutrements such as this, and are frequently portrayed laden with elaborate jewelry, including broad collars, necklaces of heavy ball beads, large pendants, anklets, stacked bracelets, armbands, earrings, finger rings (sometimes stacked) and occasionally archers’ thumb rings. 

A number of earring styles were worn in Meroe—disk-shaped ear studs; ram-head studs; wire hoops with pendants; and cast penannular (with a small gap) earrings. Some depict protective local deities, such as Hathor and Bes. Others resemble ear ornaments from the ancient Greek world. Once believed to be imports, scientific analyses indicate these were actually made locally. Nubian jewelry typically bore images of gods and religious symbols, which were intended to bring the owner divine protection. A Double Hathor head earring (90 BC–50 AD) depicts a lotus flower with enamel inlay, surmounted by two Hathor heads with sun discs.  

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Necklace with Human and Ram's Head Pendants, Nubian, Meroitic Period, 270–50 BC. Gold and carnelian. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.

Some of the exhibition’s earliest works come from Nubia’s Classic Kerma period (1700–1550 BC), when jewelers favored a variety of materials for their color, texture, luster and symbolic significance. A particularly distinctive medium was blue-glazed quartz, a substance difficult to produce, but beautifully translucent, as exemplified in theNecklace with cylinder amulet case (1700–1550 BC) and the String of beads with a glazed quartz pendant (1700–1550 BC). Kerma’s formidable warriors were also buried with distinctive items of adornment. Functional swords and daggers were accompanied by miniature examples made with precious materials, which must have served a ceremonial function. Large stylized fly pendants, often found in pairs, are thought to have been military awards—likening the aggression of their wearers to that of the tenacious Nilotic fly. 

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Winged Goddess Pectoral, Nubian, Napatan Period, Reign of Piankhy (Piye), 743–712 BC. Faience. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.

Harvard University– Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition (1904 to 1947)

The MFA’s collection of ancient Egyptian and Nubian art is one of the most important in the world, excelling in both breadth and depth.  From 1905-1942, expeditions with Harvard University led to the discovery of many of the Museum’s most important ancient objects, which are on view in the Museum’s George D. and Margo Behrakis Wing of Art of the Ancient World.  Excavations occurred up and down the Nile, from the Mediterranean coast to Sudan, representing sites from the spectrum of Egyptian and Nubian history. Visitors to Gold and the Gods are encouraged to visit MFA galleries dedicated to Ancient Egypt to see more objects from these expeditions.

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Pendant with Ram-Headed Sphinx, Nubian, Napatan Period, Reign of Piankhy (Piye), 743–712 BC. Gilded silver, lapis lazuli, and glass. Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition.

Coupe polylobée, dynastie Song (960-1279)

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Coupe polylobée, dynastie Song (960-1279), fours de Jun, grès, Hauteur : 0.08 m. Paris, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques, MA723Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Thierry Ollivier

Bol à décor dit "de fourrure de lièvre", dynastie Song (960-1279)

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Bol à décor dit "de fourrure de lièvre", dynastie Song (960-1279), grès, Hauteur : 0.047 m, Diamètre : 0.128 m. Paris, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques, MA410Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Thierry Ollivier


Bol à décor "fourrure de lièvre", dynastie Song (960-1279)

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Bol à décor "fourrure de lièvre", dynastie Song (960-1279), grès à lustre métallique, Hauteur : 0.07 m, Diamètre : 0.04 m. Paris, musée Guimet - musée national des Arts asiatiques, EO2926Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (musée Guimet, Paris) / Richard Lambert

Elsa Schiaparelli, (Italian, 1890–1973). Necklace, 1938

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Elsa Schiaparelli, (Italian, 1890–1973). Necklace, 1938. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1955 (2009.300.1236) © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The symbolism connected to the ivy plant is varied. Based on its evergreen nature, and the ability to grow in the darkest of places despite lack of light, it has been seen as a symbol of fidelity and enduring friendship. In pagan cultures and religious rites, ivy symbolized growth, determination and death, as it had the strength to kill larger plants and in Roman times, it was a symbol of the god of wine Bacchus. Most likely, Schiaparelli took inspiration from Botticelli's painting "Primavera," in particular his personification of the season in the goddess of spring Flora. In the painting, Flora is wearing a gown covered with various types of flowers and a garland that includes ivy. The nymph Chloris (who later becomes Flora) spews flowers and plants from her mouth, including ivy leaves. Schiaparelli’s interpretation of these ancient ideas and Renaissance paintings are seen throughout the fall 1938 pagan collection, ripe with references from Botticelli's lush depictions. One such example is this necklace, worn by the stylish Millicent Rogers. It is a one-of-a-kind work that was crafted with a true sense of realism, particularly in the sinuous twining of the ivy branches, like a growing vine, the detailed inclusion of veins and the variations in curvature of the leaves.

Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973). Necklace, fall 1938

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Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973). Necklace, fall 1938. Metal. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 1955 (2009.300.1496)© 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Schiaparelli's fall 1938 pagan collection dazzled her clients and the fashion press with references to spring eternal throughout. The collection was studded with flowers, insects, and as seen in this necklace, foliage. This outrageous design has a sinister aspect to the leaf forms, in keeping with Schiaparelli's interest in Surrealist art. Although the forms are plainly leaves, the jagged, sharp edges lead one to question if they reference a darker meaning. At first glance, the leaves appear uniform, but each piece is individually varied, evidencing high-quality custom work, particularly the central element that has a distinct biomorphic presence.

Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973). Necklace, 1938

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Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973). Necklace, 1938. Metal. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Beatrice Glass, 1981 (1981.517.12)© 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973). Necklace, ca. 1937

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Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian, 1890–1973). Necklace, ca. 1937. Metal. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Millicent Huttleston Rogers, 1951 (2009.300.1449)© 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A striking, unusual design, this necklace by Schiaparelli is characteristic of her highly original design aesthetic. The sculptural piece, crisp in gold metal, although worn as jewelry, also looks like and functions as a collar, exemplar of Schiaparelli's Surrealist influences. This conflation of form, an idea central to Surrealism, is reflective of Schiaparelli's involvement and collaboration with Surrealist artists such as Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. Worn by devoted client and fashion icon Millicent Rogers, the necklace would have perfectly suited her arresting features.

Gérard Rancinan (Né en 1953), Pierre et Gilles

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Lot 87. Gérard Rancinan (Né en 1953), Pierre et Gilles. Photographie, tirage argentique. Signée et numérotée 8 / 8 au dos, 125 x 125 cm. Photo Massol SVV

Estimation : 8 000 € / 10 000 €. 

Art Moderne & Contemporain, Sculptures, le 15 Août 2016. MASSOL SVV, 14800 DEAUVILLE

Diamond bracelet, Ca. 1960

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Diamond bracelet, Ca. 1960. Photo Hampel

Length: ca. 16.5 cm. Width at centre: ca. 2.5 cm. Weight: ca. 57.3 g. Platinum and 18-ct white gold. Lot 714. Estimate: € 85.000 - 100.000  

Magnificent high-quality bracelet graduating in width with very fine brilliant-cut diamonds, totalling ca. 33 ct G-H/VVS-VS (the three largest ca. ca. 1 ct each, a further nine ca. 0.90 ct), fine navette-cut diamonds, totalling ca. 12 ct, and drop-cut diamonds, totalling ca. 6 ct. Integrated closure with figure-of-eight safety catch. French gold and platinum hallmarks and maker's mark. 

Hampel. Jewellery & bags. Thursday, 7 April 2016


Diamond necklace

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Diamond necklace. Photo Hampel

Length: ca. 42 cm. Weight: 66.8 g. Platinum and white gold. Lot 733. Estimate: € 100.000 - 120.000

Magnificent high-quality necklace, graduating in size, with brilliant-cut diamonds in floral arrangement and drop- and navette-cut diamonds, totalling ca. 46.5 ct G-H/VS-SI. Integrated clasp with safety catch.

Hampel. Jewellery & bags. Thursday, 7 April 2016

Diamond bracelet

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Diamond bracelet. Photo Hampel

Length: ca. 18 cm. Width: ca. 1 cm. Weight: 34.4 g. Platinum. Lot 690. Estimate: € 12.000 - 14.000

Elegant bracelet in two rows, alternately studded with very fine brilliant- and baguette-cut diamonds, totalling ca. 12.1 ct. Integrated box clasp with figure-of-eight safety catch.

Hampel. Jewellery & bags. Thursday, 7 April 2016

Diamond bracelet, Ca. 1940

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Diamond bracelet, Ca. 1940Photo Hampel

Length ca. 18.5 cm. Width: ca. 1.8 cm. Weight: ca. 44.5 g. Platinum. 

Premium-quality, geometric bracelet with floral elements studded with old- and brilliant-cud diamonds, totalling ca. 12.6 ct. Integrated clasp with folding eyelet and small safety chain. One small gem missing.

Hampel. Jewellery & bags. Thursday, 7 April 2016

Art Nouveau Diamond drop ring, Ca. 1910

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Art Nouveau Diamond drop ring, Ca. 1910Photo Hampel

Ring size: 54. Weight: ca. 6.4 g.  Platinum. 

Attractive floral Art Nouveau ring with two diamonds in antique drop-cut, ca. 1.1 ct (minor nicks to the girdle) and ca. 0.25 ct, and old-cut diamonds, totalling ca. 1.5 ct.

Hampel. Jewellery & bags. Thursday, 7 April 2016

Zambian emerald and diamond necklace

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Lot 1479. Zambian emerald and diamond necklace. Photo Hampel

Length: ca. 38 cm. Weight: ca. 45.65 g. 18 ct white gold. Estimation: € 90.000 - 120.000

Accompanied by a gemmological report with valuation report by GÜBELIN no. 0906102 dated July 2009. 

Magnificent necklace with polished, fine Zambian emerald pampels, altogether ca. 90 ct, alternating with twelve briolette-cut diamonds, altogether ca. 7.2 ct, and fine brilliant-cut diamonds and oval-cut diamonds, altogether ca. 26 ct. Snap closure with lentil-shaped, polished emerald, ca. 3.8 ct, and safety guard.

Hampel2 juillet 2015

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