White is an underappreciated color in jewelry.
Chalcedony (pronounced CAL-SAID-uh-nee) has a soft, milky translucence that looks especially ethereal framed in 18k gold. These earrings were made in the Netherlands around 1820, just a few years after the country became a kingdom under William 1. Their restrained palette and clean, symmetrical construction are very much of the Neoclassical moment. Napoleon had only been defeated a few years earlier, and the fashionable world still belonged to the aesthetic Empress Joséphine had helped define. In other words: what would Joséphine wear?
AGE: c. 1820
CONDITION: Good - both pendants have small dents on the back side, one earring top has a visible repair on the backside, the other has a small puncture; Dutch hallmarks, T(Y?)M maker's mark
SIZE: 1 7/8" length measured from the top of the ear wire, 5/8" at the widest point