Silver-top Yellow Gold Emerald and Diamond Salamander Brooch

A nearly four-inch salamander caught mid-stride, its body pavé-set with approximately 9.25 carats of round emeralds and a dorsal spine of old mine diamonds tracking from skull to mid-tail. The yellow gold feet are sculpted with individuated toes, the eyes set with small cabochon accents, and the long curling tail tapers to a final point set with single emeralds. The silver-topped yellow gold construction follows a centuries-old jewelry convention used to flatter both stones — cool silver behind the green, warm gold behind the limbs. Reptilian jewelry has run as a continuous thread from Etruscan goldwork through Lalique to Bulgari, and pieces at this scale rarely appear outside the major estates.