Lot 37
A natural pearl and diamond festoon necklace, with a natural pearl and diamond cluster brooch, circa 1880
25 April 2018, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£60,000 - £80,000
Looking for a similar item?
Our Jewellery specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistAsk about this lot
Jewellery (EU)
Client Services (UK)
Shipping (UK)
A natural pearl and diamond festoon necklace, with a natural pearl and diamond cluster brooch, circa 1880
The front designed as swagged chains of pearls and old brilliant-cut diamonds, connected by pearl and old brilliant-cut diamond clusters, the single-row backchain composed of graduating old brilliant-cut diamonds to a pearl and old brilliant-cut diamond cluster clasp, the cluster brooch similarly set, diamonds approximately 35.00 carats total, length 37.7cm, cased by Collingwood of Conduit Street Ltd
Footnotes
Accompanied by a report from GCS stating that the pearls are natural, saltwater. Report number 78147-23, dated 15 March 2018.
Provenance:
Lady Alida Harvey, wife of Sir Robert Harvey (1847-1930);
Thence by descent
Sir Robert Harvey was a prominent British businessman in the 19th Century. Originally from Truro in Cornwall, he made his fortune having become an authority on nitrate production in Latin America. Nitrate production, for uses such as fertiliser and explosives, became an important commodity in the second half of the 19th century, and a crucial export for Chile, which is where Sir Robert set up J.T North and Harvey, with Colonel John North (known as 'the nitrate King').
Sir Robert was also awarded the Telford Premium in 1882 for his paper on the manufacture of iodine, a bi-product of nitrate of soda.
In 1881, Sir Robert married Miss Alida Maria Godefroy, a Lady from a prominent Franco-Peruvian family. The couple moved back to the United Kingdom in 1885, and Lady Alida can be seen in these accompanying images wearing this pearl and diamond necklace.
