Description
Our vintage necklace collection
Antique garnet pearl pendant
Garnet
In past times garnet jewellery was abundant and modestly priced, but recently the price of good antique pieces has resulted in a rapid and justifiable reassessment of their status. Garnet is found in several colours, although red is the most common. There are two distinct red varieties found in antique jewellery: Pyrope Garnet: Blood red garnet used extensively in 18th and 19th century. Georgian pyrope garnets were invariably cut flat and oval in shape, set in gold and frequently foiled to improve their appearance. Common Georgian designs included cushion-shaped brooches with half pearl decoration and hair locket centers, flower spray brooches, graduated collet riviere, and necklaces of foliate design sometimes suspending below a Maltese cross pendant convertible to a brooch. 19th century pyrope garnets were used abundantly during the “Grand” period mid-Victorian opulence and were ideal gems for extravagant effect. A popular fashion involved cutting garnets “en cabochon” and hollowing out the backs to lighten the look of the stones. Cabochon garnets are often referred to as “carbuncles”. Pyrope garnets were used in the 19th century Czechoslovakian and German jewellery in pavé-set clusters of multi-faceted stones. Known as Bohemian garnets, they were often mounted in low grade gold or in guilt metal in hundreds of different designs, from modest brooches to elaborate teardrop necklaces.
How to care for and clean your antique garnet pearl pendant
Jewellery should be stored safely. preferably wrapped in a soft cloth or kitchen paper; so that the different pieces can’t knock against one another, and then put into a secure box.This piece can be be washed carefully in warm soapy water. don’t immerse this necklace in the water for more than a few seconds. Then gently clean the necklace with soapy hands. then rinse off and dry with kitchen towel.
