The Hancocks Journal: November
Hello and welcome to November’s The Hancocks Journal.
As the smell of bonfires and fireworks fades and our thoughts begin to turn towards that “most wonderful time of the year” we’re sharing some of our most sparkling recent arrivals with you. From stocking fillers to show stoppers we hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter and remember our website www.hancocks-london.com showcases all our wonderful antique and vintage pieces alongside our House collection.
CARTIER
Diamond and Pearl Earrings
Wonderfully glamourous and elegant in their design, these gorgeous diamond and pearl earrings from the Évasions Joaillières collection by Cartier are loved by Royalty and movie stars alike. Worn by actresses Monica Bellucci and Glenn Close on the red carpet, another pair was recently sold from an important Royal Collection. The articulated design allows the drops to dance in the light with the wearer’s movements so wherever and whenever you wear them, these earrings are sure to make you feel a million dollars!
VICTORIAN
Diamond Heart Locket Pendant
This beautiful diamond pendant has a polished dome of crystal to the reverse which opens to reveal a locket compartment ready to be fitted with a photo or personal memento. The Victorians were hugely fond of the heart motif in jewellery no doubt influenced by Queen Victoria’s fondness for the shape. Tokens of romance and sentiment feature prominently in the jewellery of this period, in fact the heart has never been used quite so prominently as during the 19th century symbolising romantic love, familial love and even friendship.
Jewel of the Month
A Stunning 1920s Diamond Strap Bracelet
Likely to have been made in Paris, this gorgeous strap bracelet is wonderfully articulated and is set with four rows of old European brilliant cut diamonds in a platinum and gold honeycomb setting.
Estimated to weigh around 12cts in total, the diamonds have been carefully matched, are all high quality and have been set with minimal metal thereby creating a wonderfully bright and sparking ‘river of diamonds’ effect. Our Director Guy notes: “The craftsmanship is evident in the way this lovely bracelet feels so beautifully supple and almost fabric-like as it drapes across the wrist.”
Maker Spotlight
CHANEL
Gold and Diamond Comète Earrings c.2015 by Chanel
Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel founded her eponymous label in 1910 and whilst she is most obviously associated with couture clothing, she also designed not only costume jewellery but fine jewellery as well, most significantly the 1932 Bijoux de Diamants collection to which she is referring in the above quotation.
The designs were focused around motifs that were meaningful to her such as stars, ribbons and fringes and she displayed the jewels at her home on Faubourg Saint-Honoré with one newspaper article reporting that the pieces had a combined value of twenty million francs.