Antique 9ct Gold Boulder Opal & Diamond Pendant Necklace

This glorious pendant has now sold - you can view more vintage opal jewellery here.

A glorious pendant featuring a teardrop boulder opal encased in a 9ct gold frame. The pendant hangs on a 9ct gold bale that's been studded with three very old, mixed cut diamonds set into silver. The boulder opal is 3.4cm long by 1.1cm wide and displays a rich variety of blues, greens, oranges, yellows and reds. There is a small amount of ironstone backing on its reverse, and it's a beautifully polished stone. As is always the way with opal, it's hard to do the stone justice in the photos, but it is incredible to the eye.

Looking at the likely age of the pendant, this opal has either been mined in Hungary, the Czech Republic or Slovakia, or was a very early stone to come out of Queensland, Australia. Many opal discoveries were made in Queensland in the 1870s, with the first record of Australian opal being set into fine jewellery at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. Opal is a stone that's been desired for many many centuries, at times considered unlucky and others lucky, but always considered one of the most beautiful gems of them all.

More Information

• Pendant Size: 4.5cm long (with bale) x 1.1cm wide
• Age: 1800s
• Material: 9ct Gold & Silver
• Marks: None
• Weight: 6.06 grams
• Principal Stone: Boulder Opal
• Principal Cut: Oval
• Second Stone: Diamond
• Second Cut: Mixed
• Chain: 9ct Gold Spiga, 1.3mm, 18-24 inch
• Chain Weights: 2.3 - 3 grams
• Case: Recycled Kraft Jewellery Box
  

All stone weights and grades are our best estimates. Metals are checked for authenticity, and any detectable or assumed stone treatments are disclosed.