DATE: Edwardian, c.1910

A wonderful Edwardian period flower pendant with loops of diamond-set ribbon forming five petals around a central demantoid garnet. Each ribbon loop petal features nine old European cut diamonds set in platinum, with a total diamond weight of 2.25ct, and the demantoid garnet displays the typical vivid green and strong fire associated with these rare gemstones. FYI: we didn't add the pendant bail, it appears to have been converted from a brooch at some stage over the last 40 years... if you'd prefer we can convert it back.

Demantoid garnets (aka green garnets or Uralian emerald) weren't discovered until 1868, when miners in the Russian Ural Mountains found an alluvial deposit ~110km from Ekaterinburg. Wikipedia cites that the "miners were stunned by the highly refractive nature of the gem material," which is another way of saying they're unbelievably bright and vibrant. Like, unlike any other green gemstone the miners had seen. The stones take their name from the French for diamond "demant" on account of their phenomenal brilliance and fire (their dispersion/fire is actually higher than that of diamond), and they remain prized and highly sought after to this day. So what you're looking at in this pendant are, technically, diamonds and diamond-like garnets.

STONES 

.50ct Demantoid Garnet

2.25ct Cluster of Old European Cut Diamonds

MEASUREMENTS 

3.1 x 2.4cm

WEIGHT 

7.5g

MARKS 

No marks present, tests as 15k gold and platinum

CONDITION 

Very good, converted from a brooch