A very nice piece of early 19th Century ornamental jewelry we have here. A truly nice miniature painting on ivory portraying a romantic scene of a dreamy woman in a position that some 170 years later brought Janet Jackson legal trouble. In her hands she is holding a flowery wreath. The jewel itself is made of silver and is elaborated decorated with gold attachements. True, but we only have one charming reason to believe that the woman depicted in this 19th Century brooch/pendant is Agnes Sorel (1422 � 1450). Agnes Sorel was twenty years old when she was first introduced to King Charles. At that time, she was holding a position in the household of Rene I of Naples, Charles brother-in-law. As reflected in art of the day, she was an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, and was also extremely intelligent. The French king was immediately smitten by her charms and took her as his mistress; he even gave her the Ch�teau de Loches (where he had been persuaded by Joan of Arc to be crowned King of France) as her private residence. She entered the French court in 1444 and introduced the single bare-breasted decolletage becoming a real trendsetter for many noble ladies following her example. For reasons we do not know of, several dishes are named after her (a real attacker is the Agnes Sorel Cream Soup). She really got noticed; not a bad achievement for a woman who lived so long ago for such a short period of time. Antique jewelry object group: brooches and pendants Country of origin: Although it does not carry any legible control marks we believe this to be of Belgian origin. Style: Romanticism (more info on styles) Period: ca. 1830 (events and facts in 1830) Source of inspiration: love and romance Material: Silver on top and backed with 18K red gold (see explanation on silver on gold). (more info on precious metals) Extra information: brooch and pendant - Thanks to a discreetly placed ring system in the back, this jewel can also be worn either as a brooch or as a pendant. Diamonds: 132 rose cut paste stones as imitation for rose cut diamonds. Precious stones: 13 red paste (also called strass) as ruby imiation and 312 white paste (also called strass) as diamond imitation. (more info on precious stones) Birthstones: Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April and ruby for July. (more info on birthstones) Hallmarks: No trace. (more info on hallmarks) Condition: excellent condition (more info on our condition scale) Dimensions: height approximately 7.00 cm (2.76 inch) Weight: 25.70 gram (16.53 dwt) Reference N: 09306-4335