850 - A superb Neoclassical diamond parure Silver topped gold entirely set with 935 old brilliant cut diamonds with a total approximate weight of 96.68 carats.

A superb Neoclassical diamond parure Silver topped gold entirely set with 935 old brilliant cut diamonds with a total approximate weight of 96.68 carats. Comprising six pieces: a hair 'aigrette en tremblant'; a comb/bodice ornament with a large central diamond; a necklace with pendant; a pair of convertible earrings; a brooch; and a ring. Hair 'aigrette en tremblant' set in open setting with 360 old brilliant cut diamonds with a total approximate weight of 18.95 carats. Comb/bodice ornament set in open setting with 72 old brilliant cut diamonds with a total approximate weight of 3.20 carats, plus a large old brilliant cut diamond with an approximate weight of 8.70 carats (14.8x12.35x6.30mm), fine color (I~K) and clarity (SI) and strong blue fluorescence. Necklace with pendant set in open setting with 368 old brilliant cut diamonds with a total approximate weight of 40.15 carats; plus two larger old brilliant cut diamonds one with an approximate weight of 2.43 carats (8.30x7.60x4.65mm), and the other with an approximate weight of 4.15 carats (9.35x9.25x5.8mm), both of fine color (G~I) and clarity (VS) and medium blue fluorescence. Pair of convertible earrings set in open setting with 76 old brilliant cut diamonds with a total approximate weight of 10.10 carats. Brooch set in open setting with 39 old brilliant cut diamonds with a total approximate weight of 4.70 carats. Ring set in closed setting with 16 old brilliant cut diamonds with a total approximate weight of 2.50 carats, plus the central old brilliant cut diamond with an approximate weight of 1.80 carats. Portugal, 1800-1820. (signs of wear, earring clasps altered in the early twentieth century for unpierced ears, three very small diamonds missing) 9cm (H. aigrette without pin), 6.2cm (L. comb), 4.8cm (L. earrings), 42 cm (necklace), 2.7 cm (brooch), 16.7mm (ring size) 37.8 g (aigrette), 12.4 g (comb), 13.6 g (earrings), 50 g (necklace), 6.8 g (brooch), 6.2 g (ring) Historical Diamond Jewellery – The Ultimate Luxury The discovery of this Neoclassical diamond parure, from the collections of the Counts of Podentes, represents a remarkable contribution to the history of nineteenth-century Portuguese art. This is because, in Portugal, jewellery was one of the artistic activities in which the highest levels of quality and talent were achieved between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Rooted in a deeply established tradition, Portuguese jewellery underwent remarkable developments following the massive influx, from the mid-eighteenth century onwards, of gemstones from Brazil, in every colour and quality. The abundant availability of precious stones stimulated creativity and technical refinement, as well as increasing production volumes, making jewellery one of Portugal’s most internationally acclaimed artistic pursuits and attracting numerous foreign master craftsmen, particularly to Lisbon. From 1760 onwards, the Portuguese Crown, through an agreement with the Dutch consul Daniel Gildemeester, brought stability to the diamond trade originating in Brazil, consolidating its position as an indispensable player in the commercial networks of these gemstones, then of exorbitant value. Indeed, until the 1820s, Portuguese diplomacy cultivated, among the other European courts, the image of the kings of Portugal as “the lords of diamonds”. Encouraged by the availability of raw materials and skilled labour, Portuguese tastes in jewellery acquisition fostered aesthetic and material innovations that gave rise to formal and technical distinctive features, defining the production of the period from the 1760s to the 1830s - a period that, tellingly, remains the most highly regarded and valued by both art historians and the art market. Jewellery production has always existed at different levels of quality, responding to the demand of clients with varying purchasing power and cultural sensibilities. Consequently, the different segments of jewellery creation cannot be distinguished solely along the lines of erudite and popular production, as traditional historiography has tended to do. In both spheres - popular and erudite - there have always been different levels of quality in design and execution, as well as, naturally, in the value of the materials employed. It is worth recalling, for instance, that the most celebrated expression of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Portuguese high jewellery today corresponds to a segment of production that made use of the wealth of relatively inexpensive Brazilian gemstones - topazes, beryls, quartz, chrysoberyls and tourmalines - to create extravagant and highly sophisticated jewels of comparatively moderate value. Produced in the same workshops, according to the same designs and techniques as diamond jewels - which at the time were astronomically expensive - it was precisely their more modest material value that ensured the survival of these pieces in the face of the voracious destruction of Portugal’s high jewellery