Photo Credit: mycollectioninc
Edwardian Platinum Pendant with Chalcedony, Pearls and Diamonds
Buy It Now Price: $1,948.21 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This Edwardian platinum pendant from the era of the Titanic is set with a mesmerizing, lavender-colored chalcedony gemstone that is surrounded by natural pearls and old European cut diamonds.
-Platinum is an incredibly rare precious metal. It is mined at a rate that is only 1/15th that of gold and 1/130th that of silver. Platinum is so uncommon that many people have never had the opportunity to handle, much less own, a piece of platinum jewelry.
-Pure platinum is alloyed with iridium, ruthenium or cobalt in order to harden and toughen it for use in jewelry.
-A large, 25 carat lavender chalcedony cabochon sits enthroned in the center of this elegant Edwardian platinum pendant. Chalcedony is a translucent, microcrystalline variety of quartz that has been treasured since antiquity. Chalcedony is not a very expensive gemstone, but it can be absolutely stunning when properly used in a piece of jewelry – as this example proves.
-Platinum is a very tough, strong and hard-wearing jewelry metal. In fact, native platinum is as hard as pure iron. This means that, all else being equal, platinum jewelry remains in good condition for far longer than softer gold or silver jewelry. That is certainly the case with this Edwardian platinum pendant, which is over 100 years old, but still looks just as good as the day it was made.
-This Edwardian platinum pendant is almost certainly set with natural pearls! Because they develop in oysters by pure chance, without the intervention of man, natural pearls have always been incredibly rare. In fact, before the advent of commercially produced cultured pearls in the late 1910s, only the very wealthiest members of society could afford to indulge in pearl jewelry. This pendant is one of those baubles of the Edwardian super rich.
-Platinum jewelry alloys are much higher purity than comparable karat gold alloys. For example, 18 karat gold is only 75% pure while most platinum alloys are either 90% or 95% fine.
-This magnificent pendant contains an (estimated) grand total of 1 full carat of diamonds. The majority of the weight, probably around 0.8 carats, is in the 8 old European cut diamonds that ring the lavender chalcedony. These are actually quite sizable for Edwardian period accent diamonds, which is another indicator of the item’s incredibly high quality.
-Platinum is very undervalued at the moment, as evidenced by the platinum-gold ratio trading at substantially under 1.0. This ratio has spent almost the entirety of the last 120 years well above 1.0, having only dropped decisively below that key threshold within the last few years. If you have ever had an interest in vintage platinum jewelry, I urge you to take advantage of this unique investment opportunity while platinum prices are still low.
-The quality of this Edwardian platinum pendant is absolutely stellar. I don’t often recommend jewelry this expensive, but this piece is a true work of art. Even at a price of nearly $1,950, I think this pendant would make a great investment.
Cons:
-The pin on the back of this Edwardian platinum pendant/brooch has a slightly different color than the rest of the metal, indicating that it might have been replaced at some point in the past. I consider this a fairly minor demerit for a piece that is otherwise flawless.
-The buy-it-now price of $1,950 might be too much to swallow for some buyers, but vintage items this superb are never cheap. And it is a near certainty that a piece of comparable antique platinum jewelry will cost you far, far more than just $2,000 in another 10 or 20 years.
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