Opal Triplet Pendant with Gilt Leaf Decoration
click the photo to enlarge
Australian Arts and Crafts opal triplet pendant set in silver with gilt leaf decoration. Unmarked, size 27 x 17 mm. On a rolled gold chain
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
- Art and Crafts Movement - The Arts and Crafts movement began in Britain around 1880 and quickly spread across America and Europe. The Movement took its name from the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, founded in London 1887. One of the most influential figures behind the Arts and Crafts movements was the designer and writer William Morris. The movement continued until about 1920 and was followed by the Art Deco movement.
- Rolled Gold - A type of gold plating devloped in the early 19th century, similar to Sheffield plating of silver, where the the gold is fused under pressure and heat to a base metal, usually brass, and then rolled into sheets of the required thickness.
The thickness of the gold plate can vary. In Britain the thickness of the gold is measured in microns. A micron is one-thousandth of a millimetre and 20 microns of gold is considered good quality. In the USA a differnt method is used that takes account of the total weight of the object.
Also, the purity of the gold, measured in carats can vary, with 24 carat being the purest. The gold in most rolled gold objects will be between 9 and 14 carats.
There are other chemical and electroplating methods of applying gold plate to a base metal, but rolled gold is considered a superior plate to a "gold plated" object.
Depending on the country and date of manufacture, the object may be stamped "Rolled Gold" or similar, but if there is any doubt as to whether an object is solid gold, or some type of gold plating, it is preferable to have it tested by a jeweller. - Doublet and Triplet - A doublet and a triplet are both composite imitation stones, consisting of two or three joined layers. A triplet is made with the crown and base of genuine material, but with a centre layer, usually of glass, the object being to make the stone appear larger than it really is. A doublet consists of only two layers.
Opal doublets are quite common and consist of a thin layer of opal cemented to an opal matrix or black glass.
This item has been included into following indexes: