Onyx & Micromosaic Spaniel Pendant, 14K Gold, c. 1860

NWS 13-911

- Most likely made in Italy in the 19th century, this adorable spaniel would have appealed greatly to the American and British tourists. The Italians were masters at creating mosaics and had been for centuries. They were known to create a scene using 1,400 tesserae (tiles) per square inch!

- This little spaniel is surrounded by onyx, the common background material at that time

- The entire piece is prong-set into 14K gold, with double loops at the top for the chain to thread through

- Close examination of the back shows signs of old glue, so I assume this piece could have been part of a necklace, bracelet or brooch at one time, then was converted to a pendant; such conversions were common, as jewelry changed hands through the generations and fashions changed with the times

- Measures just slightly under .75" wide and .75" high, including the 14K gold setting;  measures slightly over .25" thick

- The setting is 14 K gold, and is suspended from a modern 14K gold chain that is marked "14K" and "Italy"

c. 1860, in excellent condition, no missing tiles, no cracks or chips

Price = $425.00

For more information on mosaics, see my web page, "Micromosaic jewelry: What It Is, and What It Isn't" (use your browser's "back" key to return here)