Re: French "Southern Cross" brooch to be sold at auction? Archived Message
Posted by Beth  on July 7, 2016, 3:42 am, in reply to "Re: French "Southern Cross" brooch to be sold at auction?"
These brooches/pendants are an intriguing puzzle.
I agree with Mauriz's comment - that, if the brooch/pendant was the Princess de Joinville's, the catalogue would mention this to ensure a higher price at auction.
I wonder if Morel gives any hint about the carat weight of the principal diamonds or the dimensions of the brooch/pendant?
Another facet which caught my attention is the reference to "grey gold". As far as I know grey gold is a relatively modern thing, whether it is from a combination of gold and silver or gold and palladium. As far as I am aware the alloy was not used in the time of the Princess of Joinville. Otherwise jewellers would not have been using silver to obtain the "white" colour for the setting of diamonds.
I also suspect, but cannot be sure, that the shape of the principal diamonds in the version for auction is different from those in the historic brooch/pendant.
I am casting my vote for the jewel for auction being different from the historic Orleans jewel.
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