Renaissance-revival gold, enamel and diamond demi parure, Carlo Giuliano, circa 1867

The necklace designed as a classical urn filled with a realistically enameled floral bouquet, the rim and plinth set with rose-cut and old-mine diamonds, further enhanced with two small round rubies, flanked by a pair of amorini and hippocamps enameled en ronde bosse, all suspending pearl cluster fringes, joined to a gold loop-in-loop chain, length 15½ inches, the earclips, en suite designed as amorini riding hippocamps above waves of rose-cut diamonds, anchored by pearls, surmounted by diamond, ruby and enamel rosettes, earrings signed C.G. With fitted brown leather case. 

This parure is typical of Giuliano's Renaissance-revival works done in the years immediately following his move to London in around 1860. After working with Castellani in Rome, he set up his own workshop at Frith Street where he sold his jewelry through other retailers such as Harry Emanuel and Hunt and Roskell. The subject matter and the complex enameling techniques of jewels produced at this time recalled the finest works of the Renaissance goldsmiths and helped establish Giuliano as a master of the craft. Very similar jewels from Harry Emanuel's stand at the L'Exposition Universelle in Paris, from The Art Journal of 1867, are illustrated by Munn, Castellani and Giuliano,  pl. 61.