Ruby and Diamond Cocktail Wristwatch with Tassel Detail
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.
For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.
Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
Omega A lady's 18ct gold and diamond-set bracelet watch with concealed dial mvt 13259693 case 11190255 circa 1960 Manual winding movement, fully jewelled, silvered dial, applied baton indexes, circular case, dial concealed by hinged cover in the form of an
Koto to Shinto Uchigatana in snakeskin with traditional military itomaki-no-tachi mounts of iron in koto style, with patterns in iron mimicking snake skin scales. Snakeskin covered saya continuing under silk wrap on tsuka, with large shakudo dragon menuki
A ladies retro diamond cocktail watch, manual wind fully jewelled movement, lugs and concealed lid set with old European cut diamonds, 18ct gold case and conforming flexible link bracelet bands, total length 180 mm
18ct gold and diamond bracelet, designed as a line of fifty-two claw-set round brilliant-cut diamonds together weighing approximately 5.00 carats, length approximately 175 mm.