Circular White Pearl and CZ Stud Earrings

The Putilov Pearl Brooch gets its name from Alexey Ivanovich Putoliv (1866-1940), a prominent Russian banker and industrialist who was forced to flee Russia with his family in 1918 to escape violence and certain death at the hands of the revolutionists. Most refugees carried their valuables with them, including jewellery, which could easily be transformed into hard cash in an emergency.

The Putilovs settled in Paris and Alexey was able to resume his banking career, hence there was no need to sell the jewel and the Brooch remained a valuable heirloom passing from generation to generation, eventually to be sold in 2014 in the USA by a great-granddaughter.

The centrepiece of this large brooch (5x4cm) is the extraordinary near-spherical 20mm natural “Putilov Pearl” surrounded by an openwork floral motif set with old-cut diamonds.

This beautiful brooch inspired our elegant stud earrings with intricate Cubic Zirconia scrollwork around a central White pearl, the whole set in 925 Silver