Details
Oval peridots, oval emeralds, oval sardonyx cabochons, oval sapphires, oval mother-of-pearl, oval amethysts, oval malachite cabochons, oval aquamarine, oval fire opal cabochons, oval blood jasper cabochon, oval sunstone cabochon, oval coloured sapphire, rose and old-cut diamonds, gilded silver (customs marks), circa 1880

Stones spelling ‘Pense à maman’ on the shorter of the two bracelets

Size/Dimensions: ‘Pense à maman’ bracelet : 18.0 cm, second bracelet 20.0 cm
Gross weight: 27.8 grams
Literature
The jewels came to the court of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach as part of the rich dowry of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, sister of Tsar Alexander, and probably came from the workshop of the St Petersburg court jeweller Duval.

The tsar's mother, Maria Fyodorovna, provided each of her five daughters with an identical precious trousseau, including Anna Pavlovna, Queen of the Netherlands - "Pense à Maman".

Through the marriage of Anna's daughter Sophie to Carl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, further pieces from this source came to Weimar via the Netherlands.

Acrostic Jewelry: Art of Concealing Words in Gemstones

Acrostic jewelry combines the art of jewelry making with writing by concealing messages within gemstones. Each letter of the message is associated with a gemstone whose name or color starts with that letter. This form of artistic expression was popular during the Victorian era for exchanging secret messages of affection. Today, these jewelry pieces are works of art imbued with meaning, connecting aesthetics with emotion. They embody human ingenuity, love, and creativity in a beautiful fusion of art and jewelry.
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