Lot 118
**First Time At Auction**
India, Mughal Empire, ca. 19th century CE. A beautiful Mughal necklace, stunning and ready to wear, presenting a design comprised of sumptuous strands of 58 garnets boasting beautiful wine red hues alternating with 71 white fresh water pearls, with the lower double-stranded section punctuated by 3 square pendants featuring diamonds, pink sapphire, moonstones, and impressive enamel work that demonstrates the delicacy of Mughal artisans. The central pendant features diamonds on one side - the large central mine cut diamond of an attractive hexagonal shape, surrounded by 8 stones (4 additional diamonds and 4 replacement stones) of alternating tubular and pear shapes. On the opposite side is a lovely rosette motif comprised of red and white enamel with gold leaf. Size: 16.5" L (41.9 cm); square pendants .5" L x .6" W (1.3 cm x 1.5 cm); gold quality on sides: 56.6%, ~ 14K. Diamonds: ~ 1.5 carats.
The two longer sides present 5 green enamel inlays with gold leaf, the gold here measuring 56.6%, just under 14K. The other pendants present a similar decorative program, only on the obverse faces, one features 9 moonstones glimmering with a beautiful opalescence - the central moonstone a lovely oval cabochon, and the other presents a gorgeous faceted pink sapphire surrounded by quartz crystal stones, all possessing beautiful champagne pink hues.
Mughal elites adored precious stones, not just for their beauty, but also for protective and magical properties that they believed each stone had. Diamonds, in particular, were believed to have special powers - the Mughals thought that they were created when lightning struck rocks (their name is Sanskrit is "vajra," meaning thunderbolt). They believed that diamonds could heal illness, ward off death, and protect the wearer from snakes, poison, evil spirits, and various other ills. Indian jewelry is part of a long tradition that came to its height with the Mughals. When they conquered India from Central Asia, they brought the technical skills to set gems with them. In order to enforce their high social status, the Mughals passed Sumptuary Laws decreeing that only members of the upper class could wear jewelry like this.
Provenance: ex-private Johnson collection, Houston, Texas, USA
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#153445
- Condition: Garnets and freshwater pearls are in excellent condition save minor surface wear. Large central mine-cut diamond is darkened and shows some expected age wear. 4 additional diamonds and 4 replacement stones surround this diamond. Pink sapphire is in excellent condition. Some age wear to the square pendants with minute scuffs/nicks/hairline fissures to a few stones and enamelwork commensurate with age. Otherwise, all in all, quite striking and wearable.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
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| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |