Gold-Mounted Smoky Quartz Intaglio Necklace, 19th century

Measurements
• Intaglio (including mount): 2.6 × 2.5 cm
• Necklace length: 41 cm

A finely carved smoky quartz intaglio depicting the profile of a bearded man, his hair and facial features rendered with crisp precision. The octagonal gem is mounted in a plain gold bezel with twin suspension loops, and is notable for its faceted reverse, which enhances the play of light through the stone.

The portrait reflects the influence of classical intaglios of the Roman Imperial period, whose depictions of philosophers, statesmen, or deities such as Zeus or Asklepios were revived in the 19th century as part of the neoclassical taste. The intaglio is suspended from a strand of faceted smoky quartz beads, their subtle grey-brown translucency complementing the central gem. The necklace is completed with a gold clasp, the harmonious pairing of the warm gold mount and smoky quartz lending the piece an understated elegance characteristic of 19th-century neoclassical revival jewellery.