Malachite, Onyx, Diamond Earrings in 18ct Gold

• Brilliant Cut - In their naturally occuring state diamonds have little life or sparkle and for many centuries were simply cut in half and worn in amulets. Invented at the end of the 17th century by a Venetian diamond cutter, a "brilliant cut" diamond has 58 facets arranged in a regular geometric relationship, with 33 above the crown and 25 below on the pavilion.
  
  The introduction of the brilliant cut increased the popularity of diamonds in jewellery as it was the first cut to reveal the fire of the diamond, with the light being internally reflected from one facet to another, and was superior to the previously used table cut and rose cut.Variants to the brilliant cut have emerged since the end of the 17th century, but the popularity of the original brilliant cut has continued to the present time, where it is still the most commonly found cut.
  
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• Malachite - Malachite is bright copper-green coloured stone with concentric layers which displays distinct contrasting veinings. It has been valued in the past for making or decorating small precious objects such as clocks, jewellery, dishes and so. In the Orient it was used for snuff bottles and in Russia and was favoured by the Faberge workshop. larger pieces were used for table tops.
  
  The principal source of supply was Russia but it is to be found in other regions such as Southern Africa, Mexico, Australia and France.
  
  Malachite glass is a manufactured material that was intended to resemble malachite, but often bears more resemblance to a veined coloured marble due to its lower gloss finish and lack of concentric layers. Malachite glass was manufactured by many glassworks in the 19th century including Loetz in Austria and others in Bohemia and Davidson's Greener's and Sowerby in north eastern England.
  
  It was particularly used for scent bottles, bowls, and small vases often decorated with nymphs.
  
  Malachite glass has been manufactured continuously since the late nineteenth century, most is unmarked and it is difficult to distinguish the age or manufacturer of most commercial pieces.
• Cabochon Cut in Jewellery - A cabochon cut is a type of gemstone cutting where the stone is cut and polished in a convex shape with a flat bottom and a domed top, with no facets. This type of cut is typically used for opaque or translucent stones that have natural patterns or inclusions that are best displayed in this type of cut. Examples of stones that are often cut as cabochons include turquoise, opal, and moonstone.
• Onyx - Onyx is a form of agate, used from antiquity and popular again in the 1920s and 30s. European onyx is generally green, but can be many other colours, and can contain bands of black and/or white.
  
  This multicoloured stone is widely used for table tops, lamp bases and in jewellery. Some types of onyx are also used for cameos of which the upper white layer is cut away to reveal the colour beneath.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• earrings, gold
  • gold and brilliant cut diamonds 2,881
  • gold and diamond drop / pendant 3,296