Victorian Ruby and Diamond Crescent pendant

This beautiful pendant began life as a circa 1890 Victorian ruby and diamond brooch, a romantic crescent-and-flower jewel of the kind traditionally associated with love, bridal gifts and honeymoons. The original brooch has now been transformed into three new pieces, and this gorgeous ruby crescent is the largest of the three.

It retains 17 of the original 19 natural rubies, graduated beautifully around the curve of the moon. Their vivid, deep purplish-red colour is deliciously rich, especially against the glittering inner crescent of antique diamonds.

And the diamonds! They are wonderfully irregular old cuts, each catching the light in its own way. The result is a crescent that seems to flicker as you move, rather like a tiny moon that has somehow acquired a serious collection of stars.

Before the transformation, the complete brooch was examined and certified by ALGT (Antwerp Laboratory for Gemstone Testing). The original report identifies 4.86 ct of natural corundum (ruby), with no indications of heating, together with 0.67 ct of natural diamonds. The crescent retains approximately 4.4 ct of the original ruby total.

Our jeweler removed the original central brooch bar completely when creating the new pieces. Some of its gold has been given a second life too, reused in the new bail here and in the French wires of the accompanying jewels. I rather love that detail, a little bit of the old brooch travelling on with all three of its new incarnations.

The original ALGT certificate accompanies the pendant. Please note that the certified gemstone weights refer to the complete brooch before conversion; the approximate ruby weight given here reflects the stones now remaining in the crescent and is not a new laboratory measurement.

A lovely piece of Victorian romance, now reduced to its most poetic form: a moon-shaped crescent of deep ruby, sprinkled with old diamonds, ready to begin a new story.

Circa 1890 Victorian

14K gold & silver

Natural rubies, no indications of heating

Approx. 4.4 ct rubies

Antique old-cut diamonds

6.55 g

Approx. 27 mm without the bail

The original ALGT certificate on the original brooch is included