Edwardian 9ct Gold & Silver Plique-à-jour Hair Bell Necklace

A charming and very pretty silverA metallic element which is malleable and ductile, and white in colour, making it ideal for use in jewellery. It is usually mixed with copper to improve its hardness.
necklace that was made circa 1900-1910. It is composed of fourteen hair bells that have been enamelled in the Plique a Jour technique. Plique-à-jourA French term that translates (as nearly as can be determined) to “letting in the daylight” and defines a type of transparent enamel that has no backing. Similar to a stained glass window, the design has a metal outline filled with various coloured transparent, glass-like enamels.

First discovered in the 15th century by Benvenuto Cellini, plique… (French for “letting in daylight”) is a vitreous enamelling technique where the enamelA pigmented glass-like material used in powdered form and fused onto the metal surface of a piece of jewellery. is applied in cells, similar to cloisonné, but with no backing in the final product, so light can shine through the transparent or translucent enamel. it is a highly skilled technique and this necklace is an excellent example of the craft. The chain is 9ct37.5% pure gold (or 375 parts pure gold and 625 parts other metals) gold.