Early 19th Century 18ct Gold Poissarde Earrings Set With Turquoise Paste & Natural Split Pearls

A pretty pair of 18ct75% pure gold (or 750 parts pure gold and 250 parts other metals) gold Poissarde earrings. The term Poissarde (French for fishwife) means a type of earring that was worn between 1790-1810. They are so named because this style of earring has an S shaped fish hook style crossover and threads through the ear from back to front. This pair were most likely made in the Low Countries and have been set with five turquoiseTurquoise is an opaque gem and is often formed in what is called matrix, a black or brown veining derived from the host rock in which the gem forms.  In fine jewellery, unblemished sky blue turquoise is the ideal, although regularly patterned matrix turquoise is also sought-after. pastes with a central naturalA natural stone is called such because it has not been subjected to any treatments.  split pearlNatural pearls are an organic gem formed inside live mollusc shells and come in all shapes and sizes. They are formed as the result of a natural irritant within the mollusc’s mantle and as a defence, layers of iridescent nacre form over the top of it, creating a pearl.  in the form of a Forget me not with gold detail of leaves below.