This micro mosaic necklet and hair pin are some of the finest examples of the nearly extinct craft we have seen. The base of the necklet is crafted from 800 silver (marked to rear '800') and set with thousands of tiny glass fragments to form a delicate 'iris' floral spray. The accompanying hair pin depicts another iris and is three pronged to allow it to slide into the hair. The remarkable thing about this particular suite is the impeccable condition that it is in, with very minimal losses to the tesserae. There is a 'S' shape clasp to the rear of the necklet which is original to the piece and is working well. The entire body of the necklet is articulated and moves with movement of the wearer. We date the two pieces to between 1885 and 1900 and it is likely they originate in Italy.
Micro mosaics are created by assembling fragments of multi-coloured glass into a base to create an image and was most popular in Italy in the mid 19th century, although their creation goes back to the Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Marked - '800' for silver purity
Total length of necklet - 43cm (approximately)
Total length of hairpin - 5.75cm
Total weight combined - 41.4 grams