An Elegant Antique Gold Necklace

An egg shaped openwork pendant is designed as a pearl and rose cut diamond flower placed within a ribbed gold frame.

Height of the pendant without suspension ring 18 mm (3/4 in.)

Length of the gold chain 49,5 cm (19 3/4 in.)

Total weight 6.34 grams.

The egg pendant was made in St. Petersburg around 1900. It is marked on the suspension ring with 56 zolotnik gold standard (14K) with initials of St. Petersburg assay master Yakov Liapunov (head of assay office between 1899 and 1904).

The 14K gold chain was also made in St. Petersburg. It is marked with 56 zolotnik gold with initials of St. Petersburg assay master Alexander Romanov (head of assay office between 1904 and 1908) and maker’s initials ‘M P’.

A similar egg shaped miniature gold pendant with a pearl flower was given on Easter in 1900 by Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia to Empress Maria Feodorovna (mother of Tsar Nicholas II).

Below is a copy of a page from a jewelry album of Empress Maria with hand drawings of three openwork egg pendants received by Maria in April 1900.

Several jewels including the eggs are noted in the album in French “Avril 1900 Corfou” and ” from H.I.H. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich”.

Those jewels were given to the Empress during her visit to the Greek Island of Corfu (Corfou in French) in April 1900.

Russian Grand Duke George Mikhailovich was married to Princess Maria of Greece.