Circa 1830 this beautiful Georgian/early Victorian cross pendant and chain crafted is made from Pinchbeck (an antique gold substitute invented in 1720 by London chemist and watchmaker Christopher Pinchbeck) with a high carat gold plating that imparts a bright brilliant yellow lustre .
The large Gothic cross is engraved in beautiful flowers against a textured pebble-dashed background, a decoration technique that is typical of the late Georgian period. The hand-made belcher chain, another Georgian classic, has elegant round links and it is the perfect colour match for the cross
At almost 20 inches long the chain matches the cross in stature resulting in a striking antique statement necklace, a truly old treasure and highly collectible!
Authentic Pinchbeck jewellery is rarer than you might think, it fell out of favour in 1854 when 9ct gold was introduced in Britain as an alternative to the typical 18 & 22 carat and real gold jewellery suddenly became affordable to ordinary people.
MATERIALS: Pinchbeck
MEASUREMENTS: cross 2-1/2" (6cm) tall including the large suspension ring, 1-1/2" (3.8cm) wide, chain 19-1/2" (50cm) long, links 3mm diameter
WEIGHT: 16 grams total (cross 8.2g, chain 7.8g)
MARKS: none
ERA: circa 1830, Georgian, early Victorian
CONDITION: in very good condition with light surface wear and signs of use as you might expect in a 200 year old pendant and chain that has been worn and treasured. The high carat gold plated Pinchbeck still retains its bright yellow appearance and has minimal tarnishing. There are small areas of wear to the plating on the back of the cross with light surface scratches and tooling marks, please see the photos.
At Mercy Madge we offer antique and vintage jewellery that is special and each piece is hand selected by us for you. We rarely come across two identical old treasures, once they are gone, they are truly gone! All of our jewellery is professionally cleaned & polished ready for you to wear or give as a gift.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SHIPPING - FREE SHIPPING worldwide, orders are despatched next business day and sent with full tracking and insurance.
RETURNS - you can return your item for a full refund for any reason. Just get in touch within 3 days of receiving your order if you wish to do so.
DISCOUNT? - find special discount and no sales tax on our website at www.mercymadge.com
BUYING A GIFT? - all items will arrive gift wrapped in a Mercy Madge custom jewellery box.
LAYAWAY? - we offer a free layaway plan on any item over £150. A 25% deposit will secure and reserve the item for you with the balance due in 60 days. If you would like to place an item on layaway, please send us a message and we will assist in setting this up for you.
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Materials: Pinchbeck, High Carat Gold Plating.