For the famous English socialite Anne Parsons, Countess of Rosse, appearances certainly mattered – and she was known to use eye-catching jewels to accentuate her own beauty. Two pieces, which were formerly part of her collection, a late 19th century emerald, pearl and diamond bangle, and a mid-19th century onyx cameo, enamel, pearl and diamond bracelet, are to star at Bonhams’ London Jewels sale on 28 April in London.
The bracelet, which also once belonged to Adrian Hope of the famous Anglo-Dutch banking dynasty, has an estimate of £15,000-20,000 – whilst the bangle has an estimate of £20,000-30,000.
Mid-19th Century Onyx Cameo, Enamel, Pearl and Diamond Bracelet. Estimate: £15,000-20,000.
Image credit: Bonhams
Emily Barber, Head of Bonhams Jewellery Department, UK, said: “The Countess of Rosse was a woman of exquisite taste, and the two pieces offered in the sale clearly express this. The mid-19th century onyx cameo, enamel, pearl and diamond bracelet in particular, is very special – having also formerly been in the collection of Adrian Hope, whose great-niece, Lady Beatrice Lister Kaye, wore it at her wedding in 1880. In 1935, it featured at another wedding, when Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse, himself a descendant of the illustrious Hopes, gave it to his bride, the then Anne Armstrong-Jones. The bracelet is a fitting marriage token; the lion proffering its paw to Eros is an allegory, expressing that love conquers all.”
A Late 19th Century Emerald, Pearl and Diamond Bangle. Estimate: £20,000 – 30,000.
Set at the front with a polished emerald bead with rose-cut diamond finials, between bouton pearls and old brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in yellow gold, emerald approximately 20.00 carats, diamonds approximately 3.15 carats total, pearls untested, inner diameter of bangle 6.0cm, case with gilded monogram.
Image credit: Bonhams
