Earring

This sumptuous and colourful suite of jewellery is a rare surviving example. From 1650 to 1675 ribbon bows were a popular dress trimming. They were often combined with a piece of jewellery which might hang below as a pendant. In this case both the pendant and the ribbon bow are jewelled, with the topaz ribbons twisting through the silver foliage. The jeweller has set coloured foil beneath the stones to enhance the rich colour of the topaz.