A pendant made of gold, unknown metal underneath as the base, turquoise, pearl, carnelian or ruby owned by Sharaf un-Nisa.
Contents
This gold pendant has a heart or pendant shape. It is made of gold and is inlaid with turquoise, pearl, and either carnelian or ruby. The back is plain and it is clear that the top is made of layers of metal overlaid to create dimensionality to the pendant. There is an open loop at the top of the pendant to allow it to be threaded.
Keywords
gemstone, gold, Regency, Mughal, brooch, red spinel, pearl, turqouise, gems, cabochon, 18th century, South Asia, Britain
Object Type
jewelry
Shelfmark
UA SNED6A
Metadata Creators
Munazza Ebtikar, Megan Robb, Michael Goerlitz
Repository City
Philadelphia
Roles
[owner] Elizabeth Sharaf un-Nisa Ducarel
Date
Late 18th century
Place Origin
Unknown
Provenance Details
Palmer Family Archive, Devon, England
Language
N/A
Decoration
Pear shaped pendant, with turquoise forming the outer layer and ruby/red spinel and pearls inside, with a large stone (either ruby or carnelian) as the centerpiece
Layout
unstable_archives_item
Hand Script
N/A
Dimensions
1.5 inches W by 1.8 inches L
Additional Info
During the Georgian era, gold alloys in jewelry usually were 18 karats or more, so an alloy of copper and zinc first created by Christopher Pinchback that closely resembled gold allowed the general public to wear more jewelry without purchasing more expensive gold items. Iron and cut steel were also especially popular during this period. The advent of the rolling mill, or a machine which passes through metal stock to create uniform thickness and structure, in the mid 18th century made the production of gold and silver jewelry more streamlined. As were most Georgian and Regency-era jewelry, this pendant has a closed back to foil or place a thin sheet of metal behind the gems to reflect more light. Carnelian and ruby are two reddish types of gemstones commonly featured in daytime jewelry and share similar physical characteristics.
Notes Digitizer
Photograph both the top and bottom of the gold and jewel pendant.