An extremely rare Art nouveau style 18 carat solid gold pendant medal of the Virgin Mary in polychrome enamel Plique-à-jour.
Circa 1920s.
1) It is round with 30 mm diameter ( 1.2 in.) excluding bail.
2) The enamel is polychrome i.e. of many colors as may be seen on the close up of the pictures with dark and light enamel on the back side and with pink and blue on Mary's dress.
3) Its weight is a heavy 8.30 grams of solid 18 carat gold. It is in Pristine condition.
4) It is made using the “Plique-à-jour” technique : Plique-à-jour (French for "letting in daylight") is a vitreous enameling technique where the enamel is applied in cells, similar to cloisonné, but with no backing in the final product, so light can shine through the transparent or translucent enamel. All intact plique-à-jour medals are very rare today. This medal has an extra rare and very fine aspect : the tiny - but very neat - gold stars on the enamel. This indicates a very high quality of craftsmanship
5) The pendant is high relief and made in Spain.
6) The bail is hallmarked.
