By the 1820s, a particular peach-and-honey variety known as Imperial topaz was beloved throughout Europe. The stones came from a teenty tiny mining district—just four by fifteen miles—in Minas Gerais, Brazil, then under Portuguese control. Discovered in the early eighteenth century, the deposit was exploited during the age of European colonial expansion, when imperial powers raced to control the people and natural resources of the Americas.
Because imperial topaz was so difficult to mine and transport, it commanded extraordinary prices. This drop is an English jeweler's expert imitation of the gem.
The stone is paste, a type of leaded glass that was quite an innovation at the time. To recreate the rich golden-orange and pinkish tones of Imperial topaz, glassmakers added iron, antimony, and small amounts of manganese to the molten glass. Iron created the amber and honey base tones, antimony produced a luminous yellow and enhanced the sparkle, and manganese shifted the color toward the peachy, hues characteristic of fine Imperial topaz.
The molded paste stones were often set over colored foil to mimic the depth and fire of the natural gem. That's exactly what we're seeing here. It once was probably part of a set of cuff links or shirt studs or some larger piece of jewelry.
thedetails
- Materials
9k gold (tests), paste, new 14k gold chain
- Age
c. 1820
- Condition
Very good - this piece was converted from cufflinks or collar studs into a pendant at some point in time
- Size
5/8" length including the bale, 3/8" width, 18" chain
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Aboutthe
GeorgianEra
1714 — 1837
As imperialist war raged in the Americas, Caribbean, Australia, and beyond, the jewelry industry benefited: colored gems from all over the empire became newly available. A mix of artistic influences from around Europe contributed to the feminine, glittering jewels of the era. Dense, ornate Baroque motifs from Italy showed up in Georgian jewelry, as did French Rococo’s undulating flora and fauna. Neoclassical style made use of Greek and Roman motifs, which were newly popular due to the recently uncovered ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Lapidary methods improved: the dome-shaped rose cut was popular, as was the “old mine cut,” a very early iteration of today’s round brilliant cut.
The boat-shaped marquise diamond cut was developed around this time, supposedly to imitate the smile of Louis XV’s mistress, the marquise de Pompadour. Paste — an imitation gemstone made from leaded glass — was newly developed in the 18th century, and set into jewelry with the same creativity and care as its more precious counterparts. Real and imitation gems were almost always set in closed-backed settings, lined on the underside with thin sheets of foil to enhance the color of the stone and highlight it's sparkle. This makes Georgian rings tough for modern women to wear, especially on an everyday basis: genteel, jewelry-owning ladies of the 18th century were not famous for working with their hands like we are. Nor did they wash their hands as much as we do. Water will virtually ruin a foiled setting, so take special care with your Georgian ring. Very little jewelry from this period is still in circulation, and it's very difficult to repair.
please note:Terms of Sale
Antiques can be returned unworn and in original condition within 10 days of delivery for an exchange or refund minus the cost of shipping. Once a piece has been altered, including ring re-sizing, it is FINAL SALE.
