Mysterious Worlds

Magnificent Pendant-Brooch with Opal and Diamonds in Platinum, c. 1920


€ 5,290.00 *
Content 1 piece
Incl. VAT, Shipping
Magnificent Pendant-Brooch with Opal and Diamonds in Platinum, c. 1920
Magnificent Pendant-Brooch with Opal and Diamonds in Platinum, c. 1920
Description
This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!
Iridescent opals from distant Australia first reached Europe on a large scale in 1889. But instead of being delighted by the unusual colors, many customers initially reacted with reservation. In fact, opals had long been considered to bring bad luck! As late as 1905, a columnist of The Post Express from Richmond, USA, was not entirely sure whether opals should be worn at weddings "in view of the bad omens associated with them". The fact that the ladies succumbed to the magic of these stones, which glow in all the colors of the rainbow, was due in no small part to avant-garde jewelry designers such as Vever and Lalique. They had recognized the potential of these dazzling gems for their jewelry and used opals from day one. Slowly, other manufacturers and designers followed suit. This piece of jewelry presents a particularly high-quality Australian opal in a diamond frame. The large opal, cut into a cabochon, is milky white and shows rich, intense flashes of color, lots of red and orange, some green and yellow, here and there also blue and violet. Photographs as snapshots only inadequately capture the rich life of the light in the opal: its beauty can only be fully appreciated in motion. The opal is set in a geometrically designed platinum frame set with old-cut diamonds. Around 1.20 ct of good quality diamonds surround the opal with white light. Finally, the undercrown is made of yellow gold, typical of the time. Based on its design, the cut of the diamonds and the workmanship with platinum on gold, we date the piece of jewelry to around 1920. A pin and a loop make it possible to wear the opal both as a brooch and as a pendant. They can be removed so that nothing gets in the way when the piece of jewelry is worn. It is fortunate that all the individual parts are still present today, around 100 years after the piece of jewelry was created.
Learn more
Why opals were considered to bring bad luck can no longer be fully reconstructed today. In his The Curious Lore of Precious Stones (London 1913, p. 143f.), George Frederick Kunz blames this on an episode from Sir Walter Scott's 1829 novel Anne of Geierstein, or The Maiden of the Mist. In the novel, the mysterious, enchanted Princess Hermione draws her power from a dazzling opal in her hair. When Hermione is angry, the opal glows red; when she is happy, the stone sparkles. However, when a drop of holy water touches the opal during a christening, it loses its colors and Hermione dies only a short time later.
Learn more
Read more
Size & Details
Magnificent Pendant-Brooch with Opal and Diamonds in Platinum, c. 1920
Mysterious Worlds
€ 5,290.00 *
Content 1 piece
Incl. VAT, Shipping
Our Promise
Our Promise
Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

Learn more