Georgian jewellery can be quite colourful. Apart from their use of enamels to add colour, they did use a lot of gemstones, often less expensive gemstones like amethysts, citrines, topazes and aquamarines, sourced from the opened up gemstone mines in Brazil. Garnets, too, were a popular gemstone. The lovely pendant in the top of the post is set with red garnets and creamy half pearls, a lovely combination.
Foiled back garnets were also used for mourning jewellery. Georgian mourning rings were often set with seed pearl borders or ornate gold engraved borders. The ring above has a simple white enamel border, then a black enamel frame with a gold hand painted weeping willow, with a foiled garnet in the centre.
Small foiled back rubies have been set in silver in the girandole pendant above, together with pearls set in gold. This piece was likely part of a necklace or one of a pair of earrings. The rubies provide little sparks of colour.
More colour can be found in this lovely carnelian set Maltese cross pendant above, embellished with ornate gold work. The back and front are the same. The middle of the cross is a glass panel which would originally have held a lock of hair as a memorial or keepsake.
Carnelian, too, was used in this late Georgian swivel ring. The other side has a translucent piece of agate with inclusions set within a pearl border.
navette jewellery 