Ornate Diamond Paste Chatelaine Key Pendant with Matching Necklace

Early 19th century ornate diamond paste chatelaine key pendant…
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Early 19th century ornate diamond paste chatelaine key pendant silver and gold mounted diamond pastes in a foliate design supporting pocket watch key on demountable matching necklace of hinged link star clusters and single pastes on fine silver trace link chain 67 cm length

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  • Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
  • Paste / Rhinestone / Diamante - Paste (or rhinestone or diamante) is the name given to a coloured glass composition used for imitation gemstones, or to imitation gemstones made of glass.

    Although the technique of glassmaking had been known for thousands of years, but it wasn't until a lead glass with similar optical properties to diamonds were invented by a German jeweller working in Paris (either "Stras" or 'Strasser") in the early 18th century that "paste" gemstones became popular.

    There was no social stigma attached to wearing imitation stones, and they were worn in situations where highway robbery was a possibility. The 18th century settings were of very high quality, equivilent to real gemstone jewellery.

    In the nineteeth century the quality of paste jewellery declined and it has remained the poor cousin to genuine gemstones ever since.

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