DATE: Victorian, c.1880 

A fantastic Petra Dura pendant, oval in shape, featuring a lovely floral scene. Pietra Dura-  precisely cut hardstones with a carefully chosen colour palette which are arranged to form a pattern or image, typically set within a panel of black marble or onyx, and then polished and buffed to a high shine. The stone inlay work is so finely crafted, that it often looks like a painting. This quality usually makes pietra dura more valuable than other mosaic work.

In this hand crafted piece, the floral scene features colours of white, green, blue and green. It amazes me, the skill of the artisans who made quality examples like this, knowing they're comprised of cut stone inlays. With the original silver bail, it dates from the Victorian period, circa 1880.

STONES 

Various hardstones and agates

MEASUREMENTS 

4 x 3cm

WEIGHT 

11.65g

MARKS 

No marks present, tests as silver 

CONDITION 

Very good