French Belle Epoque Diamond Sapphire Tiara Conversion Necklace 5+cttw Platinum tahitian I spotted it closed inside

I spotted it closed inside a dealers case one Sunday morning at the Horticultural Hall show in London

2 millimeters across

Surrounding this central motif is a frame of silver and gold

an ethereal glow frozen in time

Handcrafted in England around 1860

French Belle Epoque Diamond Sapphire Tiara Conversion Necklace 5+cttw Platinum tahitian I spotted it closed insideBelle poque, it translates as 'the Beautiful Era', that sweet slice of time between the height of European prosperity and the beginning of the first World War, when peace and optimism reigned supreme, the Golden Age. Men were debonair and women dressed for dinner every night. Diamonds reigned supreme and platinum was the new metal of choice, beautiful and strong even when thin, platinum allowed jewelers to make fabulously light and airy pieces that