Antique Heart-Shaped Moonstone & Diamond Pendant in Gold, c. 1890

"The moonstone furore seems to be at its height. ... The moonstones are set now in both gold and silver, and in many cases value as well as effect is added by the association of rose diamonds. ... There is a tendency now to employ the finest specimens of moonstone without either carving or tinting, depending only upon the chatoyant reflection of the stone, and a unique setting for effect. Little balls set in claws show off the moonstone en natural to better effect than perhaps any other form." Thus reported a correspondent of the American The Jewelers' Circular in 1886 and could have been describing this pendant. Moonstone cabochons accompanied by diamond roses are set close together in gold prongs and form a heart. These are moonstones from Sri Lanka, then British Ceylon, of very good quality. Each of the moonstones shows the effect characteristic of this gemstone, called adularescence: A silvery shimmer that glides across the surface as if moonlight is trapped inside the stone. To further enhance this effect, each of the moonstones is shaped in an unusually high cabochon cut, also known today as a "sugarloaf". A wonderful, high-quality pendant from the first wave of moonstone enthusiasm. The quote from The Sarnia Observer, August 27, 1886, n.p., first published in The Jewelers' Circular.

Estimate:$3,694.53

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