gold art nouveau pendant with enamel

An enchanting 18k gold Art Nouveau tri-lobed pendant. The design features delicate pansies with petals rendered in vibrant lilac and yellow-green enamel, set against a translucent background of soft green plique-à-jour enamel, which allows light to pass through like stained glass.

In the ‘Language of Flowers’ popular during the Art Nouveau era, the pansy – derived from the French pensée – was a sentimental pun representing ‘loving thoughts.’ To gift a pansy was a coded way of saying ‘Pense à moi’ (Think of me), making this piece as much a romantic token as it is a technical marvel.

The heart of each flower is set with a cushion-cut diamond, while a small natural pearl and a rose-cut diamond drop elegantly below. This piece is a fine example of the era’s fascination with nature and light, with French assay marks and numbered 2469; and French maker’s mark for Albert Chambin, circa 1900.

weight: 16.67 g
dimensions: 38 x 3 cm

Albert Chambin was a distinguished Parisian jeweller in the 1890s who operated from 11 rue Turbigo between 18 April 1893 to 19 July 1922, after which the firm became Chambin Frères, registering a new mark with the same symbol. A master of the Art Nouveau movement, Chambin was celebrated for his exceptional skill in enamel and chasing, techniques that allowed him to capture the fluid, organic forms of nature with great delicacy. He gained recognition when he exhibited several pieces at the Paris Salons in 1904. His reputation for technical excellence led to collaboration with some of the most influential names in jewellery history; he was the publisher of Max Blondat’s designs and worked for the legendary house of René Boivin. Today, his work is held in renowned public institutions, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Literature: Verlet, Remi, Dictionnaire des joailliers, bijoutiers et orfèvres en France de 1850 à nos jours, l’École des Arts Joailliers, 2022, p. 486; Vevert, Henri, La bijouterie Française au XIXe siècle, 1908, vol. 3, pp. 605, 614, 646; and, Duncan, Alastair, The Paris Salon 1895–1914, 1994, vol. 1, p. 142.