This is a listing for a rare antique Qing dynasty necklace. It was hand wrought in the 18th century of high grade silver that is at sterling or higher in grade. It’s an amazing piece of workmanship, done by a master and remains in superb undamaged antique condition. The silversmith was a master at creating cloisonné (enameled) silver beads that alternate with hand carved carnelian beads. The artist also created a dragon (known as a Chinese unicorn or kilin) pendant that is original to the necklace and can be detached if desired, creating a simpler strand of exquisite beads. The pendant hangs from two stunning central focal beads that are hand wrought dragons, created in repousse covered with beautiful cloisonné enameling and accented with extremely fine engraving, curled silver wires for the horns and silver drops for the eyes. The cloissone is done in shades of royal blue, turquoise and amethyst. The dragon pendant (hanging from dragon beads) is also done in repousse, where the pattern is hammered out from the back of the silver, creating a three dimensional design. There are different degrees of repousse quality and this is an extremely fine example of the very very best possible repousse work… With amazing highly ornate detail. After the shape is created, the surface is chased…. And stamped which results in an ornate texture and beauty. The surface pattern of this pendant is just amazing with flowers, clothing and a saddle that truly bring the dragon and it’s rider to life. The pendant has a solid silver back, which added a lot of strength and quality to the piece. Most of these necklaces have not survived in their original form. You can find components, such as the beads or the pendant, incorporated into new jewelry. But it’s very rare to find an entirely original necklace and one of the reasons for that is that it was strung on strong gauged but flexible silver wire and not silk, which would have deteriorated over this amount of time. You see items described as a museum piece all the time, which may or may not be museum quality. Be assured that this is truly a museum worthy piece. The total wearing length of the necklace is approximately 27 continuous inches. The bead wire is oval shaped with a drop of approximately 10 inches… Not including the dragon pendant. The pendant is 3.75 inches wide and 3 inches in length, not including it’s double bails of silver butterflies. The necklace can’t be opened and just slips over the neck. It’s very substantial but also very comfortable to wear. The necklace weighs 164 grams including the pendant. The pendant alone weighs 46 grams. The carnelian beads are oval cut and are just over. 75 inches in length and are. 5 inches across and. Nice thick gorgeous antique beads. The enameled beads are fluted ovals and measure. 75 inches in length and. 5 inches in width as well as thickness. Each cloisonné bead has enameled scalloped caps that are part of the bead… Not separate caps, and all the beads are divided by rondel shaped spacers. The two dragon beads are so impressive and each measures 2 inches in length and are. 75 inches deep, not including their ornately wired horns. It is just so rare to find a 2 inch enameled dragon bead and this piece has two of them. The enameling on the beads is a beautiful shade of royal blue enhanced by the warm patina of the silver. The carnelian stones are very high grade in a translucent shade of rich burnt orange. This necklace is truly a rare, valuable and highly collectible work of art but remains extremely wearable. Show it off with it’s rare dragon pendant or remove the pendant and wear the strand alone as a wonderful statement piece that is stunning for it’s antique warmth and beauty. Thank you for looking. The item “Antique Chinese Enamel Cloisonne Sterling Carnelian Dragon Bead Kylin Necklace” is in sale since Friday, December 22, 2017. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewelry\Vintage Ethnic/Regional/Tribal\Asian & East Indian”. The seller is “100smr” and is located in Saint Louis, Missouri. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Material: Enamel
- Ethnic Origin: Chinese
- Type: Beads
- Main Stone: Carnelian
- Style: Cloisonne
- Jewelry Type: Pendant
- Metal: Sterling Silver
- Metal Purity: Sterling or higher
