Spectacular emerald jewelry belonged to Miss Sackville-West.
Vita Sackville-West was a gifted poet, novelist, journalist, broadcaster and writer as well as one of the most influential English gardeners of the 20th century. The gardens she created with her husband Harold Nicolson at their home Sissinghurst Castle in Kent are world famous.
Sackville-West was also a complex and passionate woman who forged intense relationships with women throughout her life. She ran away for a brief time with her lover, Violet Trefusis, daughter of Edward VII's mistress Alice Keppell and her close friend, Virginia Woolf based the character of Orlando upon her; the resulting eponymous novel has been described as "the longest and most charming love letter in history".
Vita often referred to her dual nature; despite her modern, avant-garde, seemingly feminist impulses, including keeping her own name after marriage), she was in essence the product of a proud noble heritage: sophisticated, well-connected and well-travelled. In other words, very much part of the conventional aristocratic society into which she was born.
Another precious green was important for her, some emeralds presented to her wedding:
Set with a large cushion-shaped emerald tablet, engraved front and back with Indian floral motifs, within a frame of frosted rock crystal, engraved in similar taste, decorated with old brilliant and single-cut diamonds, surmounted by an engraved rock crystal and diamond fountain motif, on a long black cord necklace with rose-cut diamond clasp and two rock crystal barrel-shaped slides of floral and fluted decoration and rose-cut diamond finials, unsigned, numbered 1472, workshop marks for Henri Picq for Cartier, length of pendant 9.2cm
The pendant was offered for sale in 2020 at Bonham's London.
Source:Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser;Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail;Daily Mirror;Wikipedia; Bonhams ;