Newly discovered gem displayed

The Lalique Museum discovered this precious pendant in 2017 in a private American collection. This masterpiece, created around 1898 by René Lalique, is now being shown to the public for the first time in the exhibition ‘Royal Light’.

The woman as decoration is one of the most important motifs within Lalique’s oeuvre. Especially in his jewelry designs, she appears as a theme more than very often. This is also the case in the pendant. She forms the centerpiece of the composition and represents both the primal mother and Lalique’s idea of the ideal woman. Our earth is a female body, thus the source of life, and therefore more feminine than masculine. This is a principle that Lalique wished to convey. His mother was decisive in shaping his positive and idealized image of women.

Despite the presence of diamonds in this jewel, it is the visibly green-colored glass, applied wafer-thin between the gold filigree, that dominates. The specific way in which the plique-à-jour technique is applied determines the degree of clarity and transparency. All of this requires great precision, given the intended goal of imitating gemstones and their colors.