Antique Italian Etruscan Revival 22k Gold Brooch Rubies & Pearls Marchesini 1870

Details

Description

An elegant and important antique Italian Renaissance Revival 22k gold brooch or pendant, set with rubies and seed pearls by … Read more An elegant and important antique Italian Renaissance Revival 22k gold brooch or pendant, set with rubies and seed pearls by Marchesini, circa 1870.

This magnificent 19th century antique brooch is made from solid 22k gold, styled as a Maltese cross and created circa 1870 by Marchesini, the highly respected jeweler located in Florence Italy.
This opulent jewel can be worn as a brooch or pendant, intricately and heavily characterized by meticulous filigree work, granular detailing, and an array of embedded rubies and seed pearls.
The piece is sumptuously adorned with alternating facet cut rubies and luminous pearls set in raised bezels along the arms and the outer circular body. The entire gold surface is decorated with dense cannetille (lace-like) spiral decoration and around the edge are pointed ball finials arranged to mimic a sunburst or a holy light pattern surrounding the central cross.
This very desirable jewel is in excellent antique condition.

Jeweler's Biography
Marchesini was a celebrated 19th-century goldsmith active in Florence, Italy and was founded by Andrea Marchesini in 1784. During the 19th century, the firm grew immensely prestigious, serving as the official Court Jewelers to successive rulers of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (including the Habsburgs and Bonaparte's) and later to the Savoy dynasty. Led in later generations by Andrea’s grandson Niccola Marchesini (born 1816) and his sons Odoardo and Eugenio, the firm became world-renowned for its exquisite Archaeological Revival jewelry, Etruscan-style granulation work, and intricate mannerist pieces. Its historic masterworks are preserved in institutions like the British Museum. The firm eventually closed in 1936. See less