Georgian Silver & Gold Paste Cluster Earrings

A lovely pair of GeorgianJewellery made in the Georgian era (1714-1830). pasteGlass made to resemble gem materials, which may be moulded, faceted, carved, etc.  earrings. These earrings were the Georgian’s answer to costume jewelleryJewellery designed for wear with current fashions and usually made of inexpensive materials. Usually applied to two classes of jewellery: gem-set imitations, which resemble precious jewellery but are made of silver (sometimes rhodium-coated) or pinchbeck and set with substitutes for gemstones, e.g. marcasite, paste or synthetic gemstones; although usually th…. The paste was set with foilA thin metal foil placed behind a gemstone within a closed-back setting to improve its appearance. Metallic foil improves the reflectivity of certain gemstones, whilst coloured foils act as colouring agents when placed behind colourless materials, such as paste and rock crystal. The practice of foil-backing gemstones can be traced back to Minoan times (circa… behind it which had been pierced at the back with what is known as a black spot. This was to give the impression of a “culet” which is when an old mine cutAn 18th, 19th and early 20th century diamond shape, typically cushion or asymmetrical, marked by a small table, a high crown and a large culet. Culets are the small flat facets at the bottom of a stone which appear to the untrained eye as a hole in the middle of the stone. Before the advent of modern machinery which allows for the precise faceting we see tod… diamondA precious, lustrous gemstone made of highly compressed carbon. Diamonds are one of the hardest materials known to mankind. Colours of diamonds range from colourless, yellow, orange and brown to almost black. Natural coloured (or ‘fancy’) diamonds can be extremely rare. The cut, colour, clarity and carat weight of a diamond are the criteria jewellers use… was cut off at the back so as to refract more light through the stone. The effect was vey successful and Georgian paste jewellery can often be mistaken for the real thing when worn.