Rare, Antique, 18ct Gold, Diamond and Ruby French Augis Love Pendant, 'Qu'hier - Que demain'

This very romantic and very rare pendant is such a lovely example of antique sweetheart jewellery. Depicting the lines: 'I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow', it comes from a poem, 'The Eternal Song', written by Rosemonde Gerard to her husband, Edmond Rostand, (author of Cyrano de Bergerac) in 1890.

Car, vois-tu, chaque jour je t’aime davantage, Aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain.
(For, you see, each day I love you more, Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.)

Original versions of this sweet pendant/charm are becoming extremely difficult to find and are extremely sought after. This one, features a sparkling diamond in the plus sign, and a long bright ruby in the minus sign (5mm x 2mm). It measures 2cm by 2.1cm and it weighs 3.55g of solid 18ct gold. The french bale displays a clear french hallmark for 18ct Gold , the eagle's head and it is marked on the front for 'AGUIS'. It dates to around 1910.

Please have a look at the pictures and video, and dont hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information.

The full french Poem, 'L'éternelle chanson', translated to English reads:

When you are old and I am old,
When my blond hair will be white hair,
In the brightening sun of the May garden,
We’ll go and warm our old trembling limbs.
As renewal sets our hearts in joy,
We will still believe to be young lovers,
And I’ll smile at you while shaking my head,
And we’ll be an adorable old couple.
We’ll look at each other, sitting under our vine,
With small eyes, tender and bright,
When you are old and I am old,
When my blond hair will be white hair.

On our friendly bench, all greenish with moss,
On the bench of old, we'll talk again,
We will have a tender and very sweet joy,
Each sentence always ending in a kiss.
How many times may I have said "I love you"?
Then with great care we will recount them.
We will remember a thousand things, even
Exquisite little nothings we will ramble on.
A ray will descend, with a soft caress,
Among our white hair, all pink, to rest,
When on our old bench all greenish with moss,
On the bench of old, we'll talk again.

And as every day I love you more,
Today more than yesterday and much less than tomorrow,
What will facial wrinkles matter then?
My love will be more thoughtful—and serene.
Considering that everyday memories are piling up,
These memories of mine will be yours too.
Those common memories entwine us all the more
And constantly between us weave other links.
It’s true, we'll be old, very old, weakened by age,
But stronger each day I will squeeze your hand
For you see, every day I love you more,
Today more than yesterday and much less than tomorrow.

And of this dear love that passes like a dream,
I want to keep everything at the bottom of my heart,
To remember if I can the too short impression
To slowly savour it again later.
I bury everything that comes from it like a miser,
Hoarding with ardour for my old age;
I will be rich then of a rare wealth
For I’ll have kept all the gold of my young love!
So from this ending past of happiness,
My memory will sometimes bring back the sweetness;
And all this dear love that passes like a dream
I will have it preserved at the bottom of my heart.

When you are old and I am old,
When my blond hair will be white hair,
In the brightening sun of the May garden,
We’ll go and warm our old trembling limbs.
As renewal sets our hearts in joy,
We will still believe in the happy days of yesteryear,
And I'll smile at you while shaking my head
And you will quaver love words to me.
We’ll look at each other, sitting under our vine,
With small eyes, tender and bright,
When you are old and I am old,
When my blond hair will be white hair