Antique Victorian French

Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant

Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant

Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant
Curated Jewels for the Vintage Collector. This antique cross pendant glitters from end to end. It dates from the Victorian era, a period when much of the Western world aligned with the Christian faith and cross pieces like this one were popular. This cross loosely resembles the Maltese cross, with eight distinct points, but its elongated and asymmetric.

The stones are paste stones that were expertly crafted to simulate the depth and light of natural diamonds. To highlight the dynamicshape of the cross, the stones graduate, getting smaller toward the center and culminating in one large stone. The paste stones continue all the way into the bale, which is original to the pendant. The largest paste stone in the center measures 7mm in diameter.

Mark See photo - obscured but likely French silver mark. Material Tests for sterling silver, glass. Excellent , there are no missing stones and all of the stones look original to the piece with minimal surface wear and no chipping.

There is a tiny bit of yellowing to some of the stones which is noticeable on close inspection. Paste is a term that refers to the glass stones crafted during the Georgian and Victorian eras to simulate the sparkle of natural gemstones. The techniques for creating these glass stones were sophisticated, and quality paste pieces were desired by high society members and even royalty. At the fundamental level, the technique involved leaded glass that was cut, foiled at the back, and polished until it shimmered in light.

For colorful gemstones, the foil would be hand-tinted to very accurately capture the hue of a natural gem. During the Georgian era, a technique emerged called black dot, which was a painted tiny black dot on the pointed end of a paste stone to create the illusion of diamond-like depth. Specialty paste pieces include the paste stone riviere necklace and the doublet paste pieces. Today, antique pieces that feature paste stones are loved by collectors for their period-specific and difficult technique.

_gsrx_vers_855 GS 7.0.19 (855). The item "Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant" is in sale since Monday, November 11, 2019. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewelry\Fine\Victorian, Edwardian 1837-1910\Necklaces & Pendants". The seller is "oxfordjewel" and is located in California.

This item can be shipped worldwide.
  • Style: Pendant
  • Material: Glass
  • Brand: Antique
  • Metal: Sterling silver
  • Era: Victorian

Antique Victorian Sterling Silver French Paste Cross Pendant