Earrings for a Queen

Having been on the treasure-hunting (buying) side of my previous job, the pieces we couldn’t resist, even if the price was outrageous, were those that were not only beautiful but embedded in history. Most fabulous larger antique jewels have been broken down over time to accommodate modern styles and tastes. So, when we encountered an important jewel that was intact, we were willing to spend the money, knowing that our clients valued the historical significance of the piece.

I go to sleep at night and dream about one pair of earrings, and it’s been two years since they sold. Three pear-cut diamonds swung off the ear, hanging onto a fat, old mine-cut pear drop that you could see from across the room. I have an affinity for old mine-cut diamonds – a term used to describe the proportions used for diamonds cut in the 18th and 19th centuries before technology and innovation introduced the modern diamond cut. Old mine-cut stones have larger facets and an open culet, allowing them to catch the light, creating large flashes of brilliance and fire, which I find incredibly romantic.

We purchased these earrings from a private collector, still in their original SJ Phillips box. If I had to guess, SJ Phillips acquired them from some form of European nobility as they are known for having the most incredible (and expensive) collection of estate jewelry, silver, and collectibles. Because of their age, faceting style, and extremely white color, we assumed that they were mined from the historic Golconda mines of India. 

I’ll have to save the history of the Golconda mines for another post because it is a rabbit hole of information, but these mines are responsible for producing the Hope Diamond, Koh-i-Noor, and the Dresden Green diamond, to name a few.

I flew with these earrings, along with a few other incredible pieces, out west to see a collector who already had some really incredible jewels. We sat in his living room, and I pulled out a large Burmese ruby ring, an emerald ring by Tiffany & Co., and these earrings. Each piece was remarkable. I opened the box holding the earrings and shared with him the story of the Golconda mines, emphasizing how diamonds from this region possessed a crystalline purity that attracted maharajas, kings, queens, and museums. Now, he had the rare opportunity to own a part of this history.

He purchased the earrings, and I had to say my goodbyes, but not before I put them on one last time!