A pendant made of gold, unknown metal underneath as the base, turquoise, pearl, red spinel or ruby owned by Sharaf un-Nisa. This gold pendant is a pear 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.
Provenance:
Palmer Family Archive, Devon, England; Elizabeth Sharaf un-Nisa Ducarel
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. Due to the lack of standards of gold assaying, there was little way to verify the purity of gold in this pendant and another metal could easily be passed off as authentic. There also lacks any sort of mark or stamp by the maker, signifying its authenticity and who made it. 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. The gems appear to be cut in a mixture of ways, including cabochon and briolette cuts. Red spinel and ruby are two reddish types of gemstones commonly featured in Mughal jewelry.
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