14ct Victorian rose gold open work bracelet. set with turquoise beaded flowers on a coiling ribbon of seed pearls, c.1890. Stamped 585, which indicates Continental European origin. Size: 6.2mmx5.2mm (small to medium adult female size). Weight: 6.48g.
Continental Europe's fascination with everything Egyptian occurred after Napoleon's conquest of Egypt and the subsequent defeat of the French Navy by Admiral Nelson at the Battle of the Nile (1798). The Egyptian Revival had a lasting effect on architecture and many other aspects of Continental live, including jewellery. The public's interest in the gold burial mask of Tutankhamun with its inlaid turquoise contributed greatly to the popularity of the blue-green stone. Turquoise is the birthstone of December.