1940s Art Nouveau 14K Gold Maiden & Swans Brooch Pendant — Enamel & Diamond Star

A maiden stands between two swans, her hair falling in the long, flowing lines the Art Nouveau era made famous. Cattails rise on either side of her, their leaves worked in translucent green enamel with yellow tips, and deep plum-red enamel runs beneath the swans like water. At the top, a white-metal star is set with a small diamond.

This is a 1940s piece made in the Art Nouveau taste, cast in 14K gold. The color is enamel laid over the gold itself, in the plique-à-jour style — the enamel is backed by the metal rather than suspended in open cells, which is how the effect was achieved on a substantial cast piece like this. It is a brooch and a pendant in one: a pin stem with a roll-over safety catch at the back, and a fixed bail at the top for a chain.

The gold is unmarked — there is no maker's mark and no karat stamp anywhere on the piece — and has been tested as 14K. The diamond is a small accent stone; it has not been graded for size or cut. At approximately 3 to 3-1/2 inches tall, this is a large, statement-scale piece, made to be seen across a room, exactly as its subject deserves.

Details:

• 1940s, Art Nouveau style
• Cast 14K yellow gold, tested; unmarked
• Translucent enamel over gold: green, yellow, deep plum-red
• One small diamond set in a white-metal star (ungraded accent)
• Brooch fitting with roll-over safety catch; fixed pendant bail at top
• Measures approximately 3 to 3-1/2 inches tall (see package notes — photo-estimated)
• Condition: very good; enamel presents intact and the fittings are sound, as photographed