seed pearls

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and the Latest Things

Though I am drawn to pieces from every time period, there’s no question that Art Nouveau has always been my favorite.  Spanning the years from 1890-1910, it overlapped the end of the Victorian period as well as the entire Edwardian period.  Art Nouveau celebrated the female form combined with all things nature…  flowers, leaves, vines and buds.  It was an awakening.  

Often, a piece of jewelry will have one foot in the past and one in the future – a veritable bridge between two distinct worlds.  This lovely pendant is a perfect example.  Made entirely of 14-karat yellow gold, it’s a little bit Victorian and a little bit Art Nouveau.

Shaped like a sideways kidney bean, the top portion of the necklace is curvaceous and feminine.  Twenty-seven tiny and iridescent pearls fill every contour.  Each measuring less than one millimeter, these little beauties are called seed pearls.  Victorian jewelry often showcased these organic orbs in decorative borders or accent trim.  Incorporated into the center of this pearl frame is my favorite part of the entire piece… a sculptural leaf-like vine decorated with subtle shades of plum, rose and a hint of green enamel.  

Suspended from this decorative top is a large oval amethyst gem.  Weighing approximately twenty-five carats, this aubergine stone is held in place by twenty-one prongs.  These prongs are part of the decorative border that wraps around the edge of the amethyst.  The Victorian elements combine beautifully with the Art Nouveau details in this pendant.  Make it yours today for just $1,350.00.

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe