Necklace

This necklace and earrings are part of a larger set or parure of jewellery. It is believed that the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his consort Joséphine gave them to their adopted daughter, Stéphanie de Beauharnais, on her arranged marriage to the heir of the Grand Duke of Baden in 1806. Nitot & Fils, the principal jewellers to Napoleon and Joséphine, probably made it. The large stones and the simplicity of design are typical of jewellery favoured at the court of Napoleon. The emerald drops at the back of the necklace can be detached and worn as earrings. They are later in date.