Belle Époque hinged bangle – gold and pearls

Belle Époque hinged bangle – gold and pearls
A hinged 18k yellow gold bangle, articulated, whose front section is centred on a graduating row of thirteen cultured pearls — arranged from largest to smallest diameter. They are flanked on either side by a double row of rose-cut diamonds in closed settings. The bangle itself is worked in three openwork wire fillets running the full circumference, visually lightening the piece and lending it a remarkable delicacy.
Push-button clasp with figure-of-eight safety catch.
Imported work, retailed in France, circa 1900.

Specifications:
Wrist size: approx. 18 cm
Width at widest point: 1.2 cm (central pearl motif)
Length of central motif: 7.5 cm
Pearl diameters: approx. 7.5 – 6.5 – 6.3 – 5.6 – 5.1 – 4.8 mm
Clasp: articulated push-button, figure-of-eight safety catch
Weight: 24.8 g
Metal: 18k yellow gold – 750/1000
Hallmarks: owl hallmark and rooster's head hallmark (facing right, in a square); maker's mark L / serpentine / pyramid — present on the body of the bangle, the clasp (interior and exterior) and the figure-of-eight safety catch

Condition :
Very good overall condition for a piece of this age.
The pearls are well-rounded and even, with a white nacreous orient and sustained lustre — qualities that set them apart from run-of-the-mill cultured pearls, further heightened by the luminous contrast of the flanking rose-cut diamonds.
Note: a slight trace of oxidation is visible at one end of the pearl-setting rod, with no bearing on the integrity of the mount or the appearance of the bracelet when worn — a mark of age rather than a flaw.
The articulated mechanism works perfectly: the push-button opening makes the bracelet easy to put on, and the hoop follows the natural curve of the wrist. The openwork body keeps the perceived weight well in hand despite the 24.8 g total.

Ref: 05744LJ2EN