Antique Sterling and Diamond Pendant Earrings, ca 1710

Dating to the turn of the 18th century, this remarkable pair of three-station drop earrings captures the quiet, candlelight grandeur of late Baroque jewelry design. Rendered in hand-wrought silver, the articulated design centers on a graceful Sévigné bow and foliate motif that sways gently with movement. Named after the French aristocrat Madame de Sévigné, this signature bow style swept outward from the court of Versailles to become the ultimate fashion statement across high European society. Set throughout are historic table-cut diamonds, reverse-mounted into closed, domed collets in the signature technique of the era. Because early 18th-century diamond jewelry was so frequently dismantled and remounted as diamond-cutting technology evolved, finding intact, three-station earrings with their original table-cut gems and period settings is exceptionally rare. The silver has developed a deep, authentic patina across three centuries, framing the flat-topped diamonds with subtle architectural drama and unmatched historical integrity. Possibly Dutch, ca 1710