Gold necklace with enamelled pendant, pearls and sapphires, probably designed and made by Nelson Ethelred Dawson, with enamel panel by Edith Dawson; London, about 1900

Gold chain necklace with pendant, which is surmounted by a cast cherub and set with a painted enamel plaque with lilies-of-the-valley surrounded by pearls in openwork; the drop set with a sapphire; sapphires and pearls on the chain. The enamelled plaque a shaped oval, decorated with a spray of lilies of the valley, the leaves translucent over foil. The enamel held by four claws in the pierced gold frame which is in the form of a cartouche with stepped edges shaped to receive the console terminals of the claws; a scrolling band of pierced openwork is set with pearls and the pendant is surmounted by a winged cherub. A faceted sapphire in an open gold collet forms the tail of a pendant below a gold fleur-de-lis. Two faceted sapphires, each in an open collet with wire petals form the attachments connecting pendant and chain. The chain of single links, is decorated with two pearls, each in a chased frame formed of two leaves placed asymmetrically, and terminates in a clasp shaped as two openwork wire florets with pellets attached, connected by an S shaped clasp of a differently coloured gold from the rest.

Bought from C.J. Vander, Dunstan House, 14 St. Cross Street, Hatton Garden EC1 for £2,100.

Nelson Dawson learned enamelling from the distinguished teacher and enameller Alexander Fisher. He passed on this knowledge to his wife Edith, who was a skilled watercolourist. She went on to do most of the enamelling in their joint work. They showed their first jewellery in 1899. It was set with the subtle botanical studies that were to become so typical of their work.

This pendant is a particularly fine gem-set example of the Dawsons' jewellery, centred on a enamel depiction of lilies of the valley reminiscent of watercolour painting.

M.20-1979