Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

An early 20th century diamond and pearl pendant/brooch, by Koch, circa 1910-15, mounted in platinum and yellow gold, the pendant of elongated quatrefoil outline, centred with four natural pearl drops, within a delicate lattice of rose-cut diamonds and outer border of round diamonds and further rose-cuts, the setting millegrain edged throughout and suspended from a vertical articulated diamond set T-bar surmount, on trace-link back chain with rectangular box clasp, unsigned, the pendant detaching from the surmount to form a brooch, with original brooch fittings and screw driver contained beneath the green velvet lining of the case, the fitted gilt tooled green fitted box with silk signed by Koch Frankfurt a/m Baden Baden, pendant length 5.5cm. £1500-2500

The German jewellers KOCH was founded in Frankfurt in 1879 by Robert Koch (1852-1902) and subsequently joined by his younger brother Louis. Business thrived and during the 1880s they opened a second branch in Baden Baden, the fashionable spa resort, catering for the wealthy international clientele who came to take the waters. By 1883, the firm had gained the title of ‘Jeweller of the Court’ and by the end of the century they were so successful that they were supplying jewels to the German Imperial family, other German dynasties including the houses of Hessen, Thurn und Taxis, and the Hohenzollern, as well as the Russian Czar, European royals including the King of Italy and the Prince of Wales, aristocrats and millionaires. Their jewels, mainly executed in Hanau by the workshop Kreuter, were finely and delicately crafted in the fashionable Belle Epoque style, proved to be highly popular. In the years between 1898 and 1918, Koch produced 704 tiaras and crowns alone, and between 50-60 bandeaux.

In 1902, Robert Koch died and Louis took sole charge of the firm. The shop premises were moved to Kaiserstrasse where Louis managed the business alone until 1909 when Robert’s son Otto joined the company. Otto sadly died in a riding accident in 1920. The years of the First World War proved difficult for the company with Hitler’s rise to power and the Baden Baden shop was forced to close. After Louis’ death in 1930, control passed to his grandsons and nephews, who ran it through the difficult 1930s. By 1938 the Koch family lost control of the business, its assets were ‘frozen’ and the company sold to Robert Bosch.

After the Second World War, Koch reopened in 1949 under the new ownership and business started to thrive again in the 1950s until finally closing its doors in 1986. Although the company’s production covered all different styles of the last 100 years, their name remains for ever linked to the superb jewels in the Belle Epoque style.