A Belle Époque diamond necklace of pierced scrolling design, set throughout with graduated old round and rose-cut diamonds, unmarked; in a fitted case for Hamilton & Inches Edinburgh

(Length of pendant: 3.5cm)

Lots 48 – 51 form part of a small collection of jewellery passed on by descent from Sir Robert Kirk Inches, via his granddaughters Doris and Denys Morrison Inches, for whom the pieces were likely gifts in the early 20th century. Most famous in Edinburgh as a founding partner of Hamilton & Inches, alongside his uncle, James Hamilton; Sir Robert also served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1912-1916. After establishing Hamilton & Inches in 1866, the firm received a royal warrant from Queen Victoria in 1893 having quickly established their name as Edinburgh’s premier jeweller and silversmith. In 1903 Sir Robert co-founded the Edinburgh Association of Goldsmiths, Silversmiths & Watchmakers, so as to maintain a high standard of craftsmanship amongst the city’s jewellers and silversmiths, the pieces included in this small collection date from the late 19th to the early 20th-century, and epitomise not only the style of their day but also Sir Robert’s commitment to impeccable workmanship.