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Georgian Maltese Cross Pendant/Brooch. Circa 1800 browse these categories for related items... Directory: Estate Jewelry: Silver: Pre Victorian: Pre 1837 VR: item # 926259 Please refer to our stock # #2924 when inquiring.
Glorious Antique Jewelry By Appointment New York 646 778 1266 Guest Book Sale Pending |
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| This Georgian Cross is made with sterling silver pronged closed settings that hold various sizes of foiled, gem cut black dot paste. The pastes are a brilliant clear white. Their brilliance attests to the mastery of this paste maker. There is no corrosion of the foil and one would think light was coming to the stones from all sides. Paste making was an art form that reached its pinnacle in this period. It is not to be compared with the imitation gems we have today. A jeweler who succeeded in formulating fine paste kept his method a guarded secret. The stones were artfully faceted. No effort was spared. In many cases, paste stones were more brilliant than gemstones. The stone cutter lost little if he experimented with faceting and damaged a paste. He had to be much more conservative handling diamonds which were frequently rough cut and placed in closed settings. The lack of intrinsic value did not keep royalty from admiring and acquiring paste jewels. Napolean gave them to Josephine. Queens had private paste makers. The finest at their trade became famous. This maltese cross has beauty that stops one cold. The recent publication "Georgian Jewelry" by Ginny Dawes and Olivia Collings marvelously explains the rarity, workmanship, value and care of Georgian Jewelry. Among its subjects is the importance of paste in the 18th and 19th century. | |||||
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