I'd have loved to know the stories behind this antique! This was originally a brooch (still is, intact and all) featuring cultured or natural akoya pearls and stunning hand cleaved diamonds that showcase a beautiful quality opal. This opal--like many of this era, because of improper storage or just naturally occurring fractures, does show a crack (see photos). This ISN'T going to be a problem so long as you store it properly. Avoid rapid fluctuation in temperature, don't store in sunlight, etc. The opal has survived this long because it's mostly pretty durable. I've tried to reflect the flaw. It's not easily noticeable at first glance (my opinion).
The bulk of the brooch tests as platinum. The bezel around the opal is 18k and the chain and the pin portion are lower karat at 14k. There are no markings for purity, which is typical of pieces produced prior to the Stamp Act.
The pearls are a lovely antique cream ranging from just about 3mm-4mm. Some may be cultured, some appear to be possibly natural (uncultured), but I don't have the test equipment to confirm--nor do I want to dismantle the pearls.
The diamonds are tiny cleaved ones and sparkle beautifully. The approximate total weight is .40ctw.
The opal... Wow... This stunner shows play of color all over the spectrum. Opals can be challenging to photograph. Most of the color is green with some red flashes and violet pin flashes on the sides. The opal measures about 16x10mm.
At some point, an owner flipped the brooch upside down (the original bail is still present), and fixed a solid 14k gold thin rope chain to the piece. This can be removed and buffed out by a jeweler if you wanted to restore the piece closer to its original glory. PERSONALLY, I like it better as is. It is jaw dropping gorgeous!
The necklace is going to be 18 7/8" long. The piece as a whole weighs 7.6g.
