French Antique 18ct Gold Belle Époque Ruby and Diamond Convertible Necklace - Bracelet

I have been buying antique gold for years and this is one of the most extraordinary pieces I have ever found. Antique French 18ct gold has a colour entirely its own, a deeply saturated golden yellow that modern gold simply does not produce, and this piece has it in abundance. Every one of the 21 links is pierced and cast with garland and bead decoration, 13 of them set with a square cut ruby flanked by two old cut diamonds. The effect at the collarbone is breathtaking.
What makes this truly exceptional is the convertible design. Two hidden box clasps with safety catches allow 9 of the gem-set links to detach and be worn as a bracelet of 7.5 inches, secured by its own hidden box clasp. Two pieces of extraordinary jewellery from one. This was very much a feature of the Belle Époque period. Wealthy clients wanted maximum wearability from their fine jewellery, and craftsmen delivered with some remarkably clever engineering. Convertible pieces of this quality are genuinely hard to source.
This is antique jewellery at its very finest. The horse's head guarantee mark confirms French 18ct gold, used between 1838 and 1919.
· Belle Époque circa 1895 to 1910 · Length 18 inches · Bracelet 7.5 inches · Weight 38g · Links 7.15mm · Ruby and old cut diamonds · Two hidden box clasps with safety catches · Excellent condition