Garrard Wings Embrace Pendant

The first official Crown Jeweler for the British royal family, Garrard & Co. Limited has crafted iconic and historically celebrated rings, watches, necklaces and other jewelry for centuries. 

Master silversmith George Wickes founded Garrard in 1735 and quickly gained a regal platform with patronage from Frederick, Prince of Wales. The company underwent a range of name changes and shifts in leadership over the years, with Robert Garrard becoming a partner in 1792. He assumed sole control of the firm a decade later and eventually passed the company down to his sons — James, Sebastian and Robert Garrard II — where it would remain in the Garrard family until 1946 with the death of Robert’s great-grandson. 

Garrard Co. Ltd registered its current name in 1909 and, despite a temporary merger and relocation with Asprey, the firm still operates out of its original location on Albermarle St. in London. It was acquired by American private equity firm Yucaipa Companies in 2006.

Garrard created silver, tableware and decorative objects for the royal family as well as the Crown Jewels for a range of coronations beginning with King Edward VII’s in 1902. The esteemed luxury house created Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown, which featured colorless stones and was suitable to be worn while she mourned the passing of her last husband, Prince Albert. Later, for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, Garrard provided a pair of gold armlets. The company’s 1893 Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara adorns Queen Elizabeth II on British banknotes.

Among Garrard’s best known works is undoubtedly Princess Diana’s engagement ring — a 12-carat blue sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds, set in 18-karat white gold. Unlike most royal engagement rings, the one Princess Diana chose wasn’t a one-of-a-kind piece commissioned from the Crown Jeweler, but rather a catalog offering for anyone who could swing the $60,000 price tag. As a result, this was a matter of controversy within the royal family. It is now Kate Middleton’s ring.

Garrard is committed to ethical sourcing and sustainable practices. Today, its all-female design team — led by creative director Sara Prentice — continues to merge ageless techniques with modern technology to uphold the firm’s legacy in the creation of precious handcrafted engagement rings, brooches and other adornments. 

While Garrard and the royal family parted ways in 2007, the house still produces pieces that captivate new generations of jewelry wearers all over the world, just as it has for hundreds of years.

Find antique Garrard & Co. Ltd jewelry on 1stDibs.

Whether you’re layering multiple jewelry pieces or opting for a single strand, vintage pendant necklaces are versatile accessories that can elevate your casual wear as easily as they can add a creative flourish to your formal attire.

The earliest jewelry was less about accessorizing than it was about wearers arming themselves with amulets. In Ancient Egypt, some amulets featured a loop so that they could be strung around one’s neck. While rubies have long been one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money, members of some ancient civilizations valued the stones from the get-go, donning ruby pendants as well as other stones with the belief that these adornments would bring protection, healing powers or strength. Today, we still wear our charm bracelets and charm pendants around our necks for good luck.

Later, pendant necklaces, like most fine jewelry, were worn strictly by royalty or the upper class and conferred wealth and prestige. This changed over time, thankfully, as wearing jewelry became more widespread, a democratized means of personal expression.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, pendant necklaces evolved from their status as spiritual amulets, but the jewels still carried deep personal significance. Victorian pendants, in particular, were part of the “mourning jewelry” tradition. Wearers would embed their pendants with locks of hair from a deceased loved one as a way of grieving in the wake of a loss. In the case of cameo jewelry, some pendants were even decorated with miniature hand-carved portraits in a detailed raised relief. Today, portraiture is still a characteristic of many of the hand-carved pendant necklaces offered by Italian jewelry house Scala Gioielli.

Luxury fine jewelry brands such as Cartier, BVLGARI and David Yurman offer their own unique interpretations of the cherished accessory, embellishing platinum or gold pendant necklaces with diamonds, sapphires and other stones.

On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage pendant necklaces and other necklaces today.