Description
Beautiful 9 ct gold art nouveau opal pendant with fine seed pearl accents.
Set to the centre with four gorgeous colourful opals and seed pearls in a beautiful floral design surrounded by with elegant scroll detail. Completed with an opal and seed pearl drop
This charming pendant looks fabulous when worn
- The pendant is 5.6cm (2 1/4″) long including bale and 3cm (1 1/4″) wide
- Central opals 2 x 4mm 1 x 3.5mm Opal drop 5.6mm
- Pendant dates to around 1895
- Pendant weighs 3 grams
- It is in excellent condition.
- It comes in the presentation box illustrated.
- Our Ref 23126
See many more beautiful necklaces
Opal
Milky opals were commonly used in late 19th century jewellery when their versatility resulted in a wide assortment of designs such as bangles, set as a line of graduated cabochons with diamonds in between, cluster rings, fringe necklaces and crescent brooches. Superior examples exhibit an attractive play of red, green, and blue colours whilst inferior milky opals are almost completely white with minimal flashes. Milky opals were also set with rubies, emeralds and demantoid garnets in naturalistic designs such as butterflies. Mid-Victorian opals exhibiting a softer play of colour were sometimes set in scrolling gold brooches and necklaces enamelled in royal blue.
Mexican fire opal
These vibrant gems were used in Art Nouveau and Art Deco diamond jewellery. Fire opal is usually deficient of any play of colour but exhibits a singular shade of translucent mid to deep orangey – red.
Pearls, amber and coral are precious gems produced by plants and animals. These gems are adored because they are so attractive and rare and have thus been worn as jewellery for thousands of years. The most highly prized and the most expensive of this group are the fabulous and amazing pearls, they have one unique quality, which is, they can be worn by anyone, at any time, in any situation!
Factors affecting the price of pearls.
Pearl types, Lustre, thickness of nacre, colour, shape, size, surface quality, treatment status. The most expensive type of pearl is the natural pearl, these were the only type available until about 1900, when Mikimoto started to produce cultured pearls. Cultured pearls are from farmed oysters, whereas natural pearls come from “wild” oysters. Also, we have sea water pearls from the oceans and freshwater pearls from the rivers and streams. Seed pearls were very small pearls used extensively in Victorian jewellery. Artificial pearls are made from many materials often coloured glass.
Pearls are traditionally the birthstone for June.
Care of your vintage-antique pearls.
Pearls are delicate and can easily be damaged, pearl is just 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. They should be wrapped in silk cloth so that they do not dry out, or become scratched by other hard objects or jewellery.
Pearls absorb oils from your skin and it keeps them looking Bright, New and Lustrous! Otherwise, Pearls will Dry Out and turn an Ugly Yellow Hue!
Also, pearls are not resistant to sprays and perfumes.
