Victorian Revival - Vintage Gold plated Crystal Rhinestone Black Enamel 'Fleur De Lis' Faberge Style Egg Pendant & 14K Gold Fill chain (VP304)

Victorian Revival - Vintage Gold Plated Crystal Rhinestone Black Enamel 'Fleur De Lis' Faberge Style Egg Pendant & 14K Gold Fill Chain. This pendant is crafted from gold plate, tested. Whilst the chain is crafted from 14K gold fill, hallmarked 1/20 14K GF.  The pendant features 24 round cut crystal rhinestones, Vintage Victorian Revival styling, and quality craftsmanship. This lovely pendant is created in the form of a Faberge style egg, which showcases beautiful black enamel, and sparkling clear rhinestones. The pendant has the same design on both sides, and exhibits wonderful dimension and character. The chain is a vintage belcher design, which works perfectly with the pretty pendant. This pendant looks fabulous when worn, truly a great addition to any vintage jewelry collection. 

History: The term Rhinestone was given to the little sparkles after the river Rhine, where quartz pebbles, rock crystals with a high lead content were originally found. Folk would collect them from the shores, jewellers cutting and moulding them into little imitation diamonds.

Enamel jewelry, with its origins in ancient civilizations like Egypt and Greece boasts a rich history, evolving through the Byzantine Empire, Renaissance, and into modern times, with techniques like cloisonné and champlevé shaping its artistic expression. 

The process was invented in 1805 by Italian chemist Luigi Brugnatelli who plated a very thin gold layer on top of silver. Since then, it has become commonplace in the jewelry world, with many base metals covered in gold, silver, or rhodium.

The history of gold-filled jewellery traces back to early 19th century England, where this technique was patented to create semi-precious and better-quality custom jewellery during the Victorian Era.

As long as gold filled pieces are well cared for, they can last a lifetime. Gold plated pieces, on the other hand, can last up to a year if kept away from water, wear, and heat. It's also worth mentioning that gold filled pieces with lower karat weight (9-14k) may be more durable than pieces with greater gold content. Victorian gold filled jewelry can last for centuries. 

Measurements: Pendant 25.00 x 14.50 mm       Chain 18" 

Stone Size: Crystal Rhinestone 1.00 mm each 

Weight: 6.70 grams 

Condition: Excellent 

Origin: America

Date: Circa 1960