Art Nouveau Revival Sterling Silver Openwork Pendant Necklace, Large Amethyst Cabochon, Repoussé Foliate Scrollwork, Stamped Sterling, Heavy Rolo Chain, c.1960s-1970s

Four inches of sterling silver foliate scrollwork. One deep purple amethyst. The 1960s rediscovering 1900.

The Art Nouveau movement had its moment at the turn of the twentieth century and was then largely dismissed for decades as overwrought and sentimental. The 1960s counterculture disagreed. Drawn to its organic forms, its rejection of rigid geometry, and its insistence that beauty was a serious subject, a generation of silversmiths picked up where Lalique and his contemporaries had left off. The results, when done well, are indistinguishable in spirit from the originals.

This pendant was done well. The openwork panel measures four inches by two, substantial enough to command a room, with whiplash scrollwork, flowing leaf tendrils, and pierced organic forms worked in sterling silver with considerable skill. At the centre, a round amethyst cabochon sits in a raised bezel, its deep purple colour saturated and clean against the bright and shadow of the metalwork around it. The surface has the hammered, modelled quality of serious handwork rather than cast production. The reverse shows artisan assembly consistent with mid-century American silversmithing: no assay marks, STERLING stamped clearly, and construction details that place this firmly in the revival period rather than the original.

Suspended on a heavy rolo chain with a lobster clasp. The chain is a later pairing but a well-chosen one, the weight and scale suit the pendant exactly.

The Particulars:

• Type: Pendant necklace
• Pendant: Openwork repoussé foliate scrollwork panel, Art Nouveau Revival
• Dimensions: Pendant approximately 4 inches long by 2 inches wide. Chain approximately 18 inches.
• Stone: Round amethyst cabochon, deep purple, bezel set
• Metal: Sterling silver, stamped STERLING, no assay marks
• Chain: Heavy rolo chain with lobster clasp, later addition
• Era: Art Nouveau Revival, c.1960s to 1970s, American artisan silversmithing
• Condition: Excellent. Natural silver patina throughout, accentuating the depth of the openwork. Clasp functions securely. Please review all photos carefully before purchasing.

The original Art Nouveau silversmiths were trying to make the world more beautiful. The people who revived them sixty years later were trying to do exactly the same thing. This piece makes a reasonable argument that they succeeded.

Arrives tucked inside its own treasure coffin and carefully wrapped as a vault relic, ready for gifting or keeping.