Pair of Earrings

In portraits by Robert Joy (B.71.132 and B.2017.4), Miss Ima Hogg wears an empire-style evening dress (B.2009.40) along with a necklace and matching earrings (B.2009.46.A, .B). The necklace can be worn with or without the pendants, and a portion of the necklace can be worn as a bracelet. Gemological testing shows the stones to be genuine aquamarines, which are foiled and in close-back settings. Foil is a thin sheet of reflective metal, which may be tinted to enhance the color and brilliance of the stone. It is inserted between the back of the stone and the closed setting. Foiling enabled jewelers to use gemstones of uneven color in the same piece by creating an artificial match. In the regency period (1830–1840) good colored stones were scarce in the market. Also scarce in this period were precious metals because of the preceding years of war in Europe. The gold of the necklace is thin, hand-stamped repoussé in a foliate and scroll design, which is hollow.

The necklace holds five oval aquamarines set in a repoussé band with three detachable pendants of pear-shaped aquamarines set in a 14–15 karat gold foliate design. The two lateral pendants have been converted into clip earrings suspended from an 18 karat granulated gold button. Since conversions to clip earrings date to the 1930s, the change must have occurred after this date by either Miss Hogg or by the previous owner. Miss Hogg may have chosen to wear the smaller pendants as earrings because they were more proportional to her petite frame. Although similar in design, the original pendant earrings were larger than the necklace pendants and have been converted from wire earrings to detachable pendants for the necklace. The section of the necklace with the oval aquamarines is detachable from the back section of the necklace and can form a bracelet.