Mellerio dit Mellers
1890, France
pendant in yellow gold with imperial topaz
pendant
yellow gold, silver, diamonds, imperial topaz, rubies, natural pearls, emeralds, sapphires, enamels
gioielleria pennisi

The pendant is made in yellow gold with silver reinforcement; a frame of old cut diamonds surmounted by a crown, holds a conspicuous imperial topaz. The uniqueness of the item lies in the fact that the topaz was engraved and enamelled with a portrait of the Virgin with Child. The image, made in extremely fine multi-coloured enamels painted on gold, is further embellished by diamond roses and tiny precious stones. Below this there is a degradé of natural drop pearls of rare perfection. The jewel came to us inside an antique display case as if its function over time had become an altarpiece for prayer.

17th century, Portugal
yellow gold and enamel cross
cross
yellow gold, enamels
maria paola pennisi

The oldest jewellery in the Room is, in fact, a Portuguese devotional item that is extremely difficult to find nowadays but which was rather common in that area in the 16th and 17th centuries. The yellow gold cross with white and green enamel decorations shows the figure of a haloed Christ with a skull at his feet. The surface of the gold is carved on the front and back to contain the multi-coloured decorations.

19th century, France
bracelet in yellow gold and enamels with napoleonic bees in old-cut diamonds
bracelet
yellow gold, enamels, diamonds
gioielleria pennisi

An item of jewellery that has considerable symbolic content is the yellow gold bracelet with diamond-studded bees and guilloché enamelling in its original blue velvet box with Napoleon’s monogram. Bees have always been used in heraldry, not only as a symbol of industriousness, work and sweetness but also of immortality and resurrection.

19th century, Rome
egyptian revival micro-mosaic
set in yellow gold
set
yellow gold, glass paste
maria paola pennisi

The demi-parure comprising earrings and pendant with a figure of a Pharaoh has entirely Italian roots. The micro-mosaic of which the images are composed is an elegant example of this technique presented for the first time by Giacomo Raffaelli in 1775. This minute mosaic, still produced today, was made of tiny, spun enamel tiles with a less than one millimetre section. The micro tiles were fixed together with a mastic called Roman stucco which was a mixture of lime, travertine powder and linseed oil. The support was generally in copper, hard stone or opaline glass.

1920
Egyptian revival set in platinum and diamonds with egyptian deities in yellow gold
set
platinum, diamonds, yellow gold
gioielleria pennisi

The set on display here is a refined example of manufacture in platinum with diamonds totalling about 33.40 carats. Ring, bracelet and brooch are decorated with tiny, yellow gold sculptures of Osiris and Isis, Nut and Ra. All of the figures seem to have been modelled from original Egyptian artefacts dating back to 530 BC found in Saqqara in the 19th century and now in Cairo Museum.

1840
fer de berlin set with cameos representing mythological figures
set
yellow gold, iron
private collection

Cameos were particularly popular from the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th, so much so that the most varied materials were carved to cope with the enormous market demand. Collecting ancient cameos became a popular pastime among the well-to-do classes and were often copied by new generation artists and numerous imitations in ceramic and other materials appeared on the market. Therefore cameos can be found on materials that are extremely noble and hard to sculpture, such as emeralds and sapphires, as well as on poor and malleable materials.