Antique Dutch pendant with garnets

Antique 18 carat gold pendant, richly decorated on the front with wire work and cannetille, set with twenty-six beautiful faceted garnets. The back is also beautifully decorated with cannetille and wire work and horns of plenty.

These traditional earring pendants, so-called 'exchange bells', were worn by a woman in regional costume from the island of Tholen (in Zeeland). Such pendants were worn on the earrings on Sundays by wealthy farmers' wives and their adult daughters. The exchange bells are different at the front and back and can be worn on both sides. These earring pendants were also called 'catriel bells' or 'cushion bells'.

Netherlands, circa 1900