*Art Nouveau British 1880 Dragon Necklace-pendant-brooch in 18 kt with diamonds & natural pearl

Liberty Art Nouveau convertible necklace with a Dragon.

A rare and beautiful piece made in the United Kingdom, circa 1880. It was carefully assembled and crafted in 18 karats yellow gold with platinum accents for the gemstone's settings.. II is suited at the reverse, with a horizontal hinged pin bar with a hook and two discrete curved hooks to hang into the chain's loops.

This piece is very versatile and convertible, since has two detachable elements to remove the pin bar or the chain and wear, just as a brooch or as a necklace.

the main element is a rampant neo-gothic dragon with open wings, holding a diamond in its beak. at the bottom hangs a natural white pearl (4.5 x 5 mm).

Is embellished, with natural diamonds; 5 old European round cuts (0.90 carats) and 54 old rose cuts (1.08 carats).

Has a total weight of 29.8 grams and a measures of 70 mm (2.76 inches) by 48 mm (1.89 inches). The removable chain have a lenght of 18 inches (45 Cm) and is stamped, ".950 PLAT".

This necklace is very interesting as it shows several artistic styles like; the Neo-classic, the Neo-gothic, the Liberty style and the Art Nouveau. All these styles complement in a very elegant way without competing with each other.

We can assure that the style that is demonstrated in this piece is one of transition towards the more formal style of the Art-Nouveau as we typically know with more curved elements and organic shapes.

Note: Neo-Gothic style is an artistic movement that born in the middle of the 18th century in England. with the development of romanticism, some enlightened amateurs such as Horace Walpole and William Beckford highly influenced the public's enthusiasm for the middle ages, medieval arts and the new aesthetic quality known as the “picturesque”, as shown in the luxurious architectural follies of Foonhill abbey or Strawberry hill. In the 19th century, the Neo-Gothic had its moment of glory with the works of Pugin and Ruskin; the London parliament (1840-1860) is a famous example of the style.

Note: Liberty Style, it took its name from Arthur Lasemby Liberty and the store he founded in 1874 in London, the Liberty Department Store, which specialized in importing ornaments, textiles and art objects from japan and the far east. Major Italian and British designers use this store to merchandise their products. The major event of the style was the 1902 Turin International Exposition, which featured by works of both, Italian designers and other art nouveau designers from around Europe.

Note: Art Nouveau, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art , especially the decorative arts and jewelry, known in different languages by different names: Judenstil in German, Stile Liberty in Italian, Modernisme Catala in Barcelona. the style was most popular between 1880 and 1910.

This piece is in perfect condition with all parts original from the period with no diamonds replacements.

INVENTORY REF: P0000ACEE/.7163