Mermaid : Antique Australian Crystal Opal Pendant in 9ct Rose Gold

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One of the most beautiful opals I’ve ever seen, looking into this piece is like diving into pristine tropical ocean water. It’s soothing, refreshing and mesmerising. The opal is predominantly blue and lavender in colour, with flashes of electric green and shimmers of pink.

Manufacture:
A marquise or navette shaped solid Australian opal has been set into an elegant Arts and Crafts Era pendant, circa 1900 – 1920, modelled in 9ct rose gold. The opal is a crystal or jelly opal – it is translucent in some lighting conditions and holds a rainbow of colours suspended in a clear opal body. Upon careful inspection you can see dark patches on the underside at the tip – this is not a flaw, it is noted here as an interesting feature of the opal. While it is impossible to be 100% certain without removing the stone from the mount it is most likely these dark areas are remnants of ironstone which were not polished off of the opal when it was cut. The ironstone patches deepen the colour of the opal in those areas, and also identify the origin of the stone as having come from Queensland, Australia. As ironstone is so much stronger than opal it also adds a little extra strength to the stone.

Opal is one of the softest of the gemstones, so I’m always pleased to see them in a setting that will add durability to the stone, increasing its longevity and wearability. This opal is bezel made of solid 9ct rose gold setting and is closed at the back. Remnants of the original milgrain can be seen around the perimeter of the bezel. Surrounding the opal is a handmade scalloped border, also in 9ct rose gold. The effect is similar to lace, but as it has been made of hard wearing 9ct gold it is in no danger of being bumped or knocked out of shape. The pendant is hallmarked to the back with the older style 9ct stamp and is likely Australian in origin.

The opal measures 24.5mm x 12mm x 3.2mm (approximately 5 carats)

The pendant measures 30.8mm x 18.25 x 4.4mm not including the bale.
It weighs 3.1 grams

Condition:
The pendant is on overall good antique condition. There is one surface reaching fissure in the opal which has probably always been there, it is visible in some lighting conditions as a thin white line. There are some minor scuffs to the surface of the stone, only visible under magnification, as might be expected in a vintage jewel. The bale is a replacement – it has much more modern hallmarks than the pendant itself.

The pendant will come with the curb link chain pictured which is 46cm long. It is unmarked and quite likely gold plated.

You can see a short video of this pendant on my Instagram account @secret_histories, or online here.

Description

I’m at a loss for suitable adjectives to describe this piece! It blows my mind 🤩

A marquise or navette shaped solid Australian opal has been set into an elegant Arts and Crafts era pendant, modelled in 9ct rose gold. The opal is a crystal or jelly opal – it is translucent in some lighting conditions and holds a rainbow of colours suspended in a clear opal body.

The opal measures 24.5mm x 12mm x 3.2mm (approximately 5 carats)

The pendant measures 30.8mm x 18.25 x 4.4mm not including the bale.
It weighs 3.1 grams