Victorian Ruby Diamond Cross, circa 1850

Victorian Pendant/Brooch in 15 carat yellow gold with rubies, pearls and diamonds in a starburst floral design, circa 1850 15 carat gold Ceylon rubies, half pearls and diamond set. Rubies, Ceylon, natural untreated, 0.6ct total (approx) Half Pearls, natural “Gulf” Pearls...

18ct gold & silver set Art Nouveau Diamond Opal Pendant/Brooch dated circa 1900 Five round opals with an articulated pear shaped opal drop, very well matched with lively play of colours and iridescence in reds, greens, blues and gold. Set in 18 carat yellow gold claw collets Two main transitional cut (old mine) diamonds 0.70ct. Mix of old mine and rose cut diamonds in an 18 carat yellow gold with “silver Set” channel setting , approx 1 ct total. G/H/I, VS2-SI2. Total diamond weight: approx 1.7carats Setting diamonds in gold with a thin layer of silver, “silver set”, was a technique used in the Georgian/Victorian/Art Nouveau period as white coloured gold and platinum were not yet available. A very thin layer of silver was applied to the gold, on which the diamonds were set, to show them off to their best advantage (as the yellow would reflect and distort the white colour of the diamonds). The Art Nouveau period was a short lived but worldwide movement which reached its peak at the end of the 19th Century and the first decade of the 20th Century. It had its roots in the Pre Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts movements in Britain in the 1860’s. Artists, such as William Morris, took their inspiration from the flora and fauna of nature and rejected the mass industrialisation and mechanisation of the Victorian age. Art Nouveau continued with this theme and has a distinctive appearance with soft, curved shapes and lines and often depicted natural designs such as flowers, birds and the female form. Before the Art Nouveau period, the emphasis had been to design pieces with an emphasis on gem stones, diamonds, rubies emeralds etc. However, during the Art Nouveau period, jewellers adopted the idea of using other semi–precious stones “from nature” such as agate, garnet opal, moonstone, aquamarine and experimented with a wide variety of new techniques e.g. enamelling. The “New Art” style became a worldwide movement encompassing all disciplines of the arts, and world class artists as far afield as Gaudi with his “modernisme” architecture in Spain, Louis Comfort Tiffany in New York with objects, Galle Glass in France and the Liberty & Co Archibald Knox designs in Britain, Jugendstil in Northern Europe and Faberge in Russia. The movement flared brightly but briefly and by 1910 it was already going out of style to be replaced by Art Deco. In fitted period box. Detachable 18ct brooch...

Platinum & 18ct white gold diamond pendant in the Art Deco Egyptian Revival style dated circa 1970 on a platinum chain. Articulated central diamond drop, 0.50ct (approx), Natural Li...

18ct and Platinum Set, Pearl & Diamond Belle Epoque Necklace c1910 A fine example of a Belle Epoque necklace. To the reverse 18ct yellow gold with the ...

An exquisite, rare and fine Art Nouveau pendant in 18 carat gold, Circa 1900. 18 carat gold set with translucent varicoloured Guilloché enamel with a natural salt water pearl drop. ...

Edwardian Diamond Gold and Platinum Set Pendant circa 1910 on a platinum chain. Three principle diamonds, in articulated Edwardian drop collets, Victorian Old Cut (Old Mine) approx...

An 18ct Cross with Rubies and Diamonds circa 1850 Single row of Calibré cut natural colour rubies framing a diamond set foliate central design. Single...

An early Victorian diamond and ruby cross, the eleven old European-cut diamonds estimated to weigh 6.25 carats in total, surrounded by a frame c...

A Victorian ruby and diamond cross pendant brooch, the central cushion-cut ruby weighing 1.02 carats, surrounded by a cluster of old-cut diamonds, the arms set with four oval faceted...

Victorian diamond cross pendant. Set with eleven cushion shape old mine diamonds in open back grain settings with an approximate combin...

A Victorian pearl and ruby cross, the body and the arms set with twelve half pearls embellished with four rubies, on chain with pearl and ruby flower slide,...

An exceptional, fine and impressive, large antique Victorian black onyx and 0.42ct diamond, 18 karat yellow gold and silver set cross pendant; part of our diverse antique jewelry and estate jewelry collections. This exceptional, fine and impressive antique pendant has been crafted in 18k yellow gold with a silver setting. The substantial body of the pendant has been crafted in black onyx, in the form of a cross. The centre of the cross is embellished with a feature Dutch cut diamond, encircled by eight further diamonds creating a stellate cluster design, encompassed with a plain border in the shape of an eight cornered star. The exceptional and large Victorian onyx cross is ornamented with sixteen further impressive Dutch cut diamonds, pavé set within paired leaf designs emanating along the crossbars. The pendant suspends from a 9k yellow gold 18" chain via a tapering ring loop ornamented with a central paralleling band of exceptional black hot enamel. The chain secures with a conventional spring-loaded bolt ring fastening. This onyx and diamond cross pendant necklace has been independently tested using state of the art technology (Niton XL2 Analyzer) and verified as 18 karat gold and silver. This impressive antique cross necklace...