Exceptional & highly unusual small cup, inset with a plique-au-jour enamel band at the upper rim, interspersed with cabachon sapphires on the outside. With a matt silver exterior and a softly gilded interior, the piece measures 1 1/2" (3.8 cm) tall and 1 7/8" (4.75 cm) across. The makers mark is indistinctly stamped on the indented base, as is the assayer's mark indicating ST Petersburg manufacture prior to 1896. Weighing 1.4 oz (40 grams), this is a diminutive gem.
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