Royal Emerald Pendant and Earrings with Illustrious Provenance

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An important emerald pendant, consisting of an 11.26 carat emerald carved in the shape of a woman's head set in an ornate gold 4.0 x 1.80 cm pendant, accented by twenty-four bezel and grain set round brilliant cut diamonds of estimated total weight 0.60 carats, hung from a vintage German Aurea box chain, accompanied by a pair of emerald earrings set with two emeralds carved in a flower motif of estimated weight 3.85 carats, accented by ten claw set diamonds of estimated total weight 0.18 carats. 18ct gold pendant. 14ct gold earrings. Gold tone chain and earring backs. Written statement of previous owner provided as provenance. This piece has an illustrious history which spans continents, decades and dynasties. The emerald allegedly began its life as a tie pin for the Beloved King Farouk of Egypt (1920-1965), the young King came to the throne at 16 and was fully enamoured with the glamour of the Royal lifestyle. Although he already had thousands of acres of arable land on the banks of the Nile, dozens of palaces and hundreds of cars, he often travelled to Europe for grand shopping sprees. It is said that he ate 600 oysters a week! With a supreme penchant for jewellery in 1951, he bought the pear-shaped 94-carat Star of the East diamond and a fancy-coloured oval-cut diamond from jeweller Harry Winston, but never paid for it! He was also heir to amazing collection of jewels, amassed during the reign of the Muhammed Ali Dynasty which spanned almost 150 years. In 1952 Farouk lost the throne at 32 for ineffective governance. A chance meeting in a Rome nightclub in 1963 meant the emerald tie pin was gifted to the Raja Narendra Singh Sarila (1927-2011) former Prince of the Indian state of Sarila and the aide-de-camp to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British India. The pin was then gifted on to the Prince Harry Singh who had spent time with Narendra in the army and they regularly payed polo together in Jaipur. Prince Singh gifted the emerald to his wife who had the emerald set into an 18ct gold setting by a jeweller in Sydney. She also had some earrings fashioned to match. Letters of provenance included.

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Brilliant Cut - In their naturally occuring state diamonds have little life or sparkle and for many centuries were simply cut in half and worn in amulets. Invented at the end of the 17th century by a Venetian diamond cutter, a "brilliant cut" diamond has 58 facets arranged in a regular geometric relationship, with 33 above the crown and 25 below on the pavilion.

The introduction of the brilliant cut increased the popularity of diamonds in jewellery as it was the first cut to reveal the fire of the diamond, with the light being internally reflected from one facet to another, and was superior to the previously used table cut and rose cut.Variants to the brilliant cut have emerged since the end of the 17th century, but the popularity of the original brilliant cut has continued to the present time, where it is still the most commonly found cut.

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Bezel - On a clock or watch, the bezel is the metal frame into which the watch or clock glass is fitted. In clocks, the bezel may include a hinge and a flange, in effect a door to the face of the clock. In jewellery the bezel is a band of metal with a projecting lip that holds the gemstone in its setting.
Carat - A carat (abbreviated "ct") is a unit of measurement used to describe the weight of a diamond or other gemstone, and separately is a unit of measurement used to describe the weight of precious metals such as gold,.

For gemstones, one carat is equal to 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams. The weight of a diamond is one of the Four Cs (along with cut, colour, and clarity) that are used to determine a diamond's value.

It is important to note that a diamond's weight does not necessarily correspond to its size. A diamond's cut, which affects how well it reflects light, can make a diamond of a lower weight appear larger than a diamond of a higher weight. Additionally, the carat is not the only factor to determine the value of a diamond, other factors such as clarity, colour and cut are important too.

In the gold industry, the purity of gold is measured in carats (abbreviated "ct"), with 24 karats being pure gold and lower carat numbers indicating a lower purity level. So, for example, 18 carat gold is 18/24 or 75% pure gold, and 12 carat gold is 12/24 or 50% pure gold.
Emeralds - Emeralds have been used in jewellery making for thousands of years, and are prized for their deep green colour, which is caused by the presence of chromium and vanadium in the mineral beryl. Because of their rare colour, emeralds are often more valuable than diamonds of a similar size and quality. In jewellery making, emeralds are typically cut into round or oval shapes to maximize their color and clarity. They are often set in gold or platinum and used as the centrepiece of a piece of jewellery, such as a ring or necklace. They can also be used in combination with other gems, such as diamonds, to create intricate and beautiful designs.
Important - Important is a word used in the antique trade to indicate an object should be ranked above other similar objects, and is therefore more valuable.

The object could be considered important because it is by a famous designer or maker, has been shown at a major exhibition, is of exquisite workmanship, is rare or is a "one-off", was made for an important patron, and so on.

Even further up the pecking order are objects that are described in catalogue descriptions as highly important or extraordinarily important.

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Royal Emerald Pendant and Earrings with Illustrious Provenance

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