15ct Amethyst Pendant
A 15ct amethyst pendant brings together rich purple stones and deep gold in Edwardian and Victorian designs.
15ct Amethyst Pendant
When you examine a 15ct amethyst pendant, you are looking at gold work from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. These pieces combine deep purple amethysts with pearls, seed pearls, peridots, and diamonds in necklace and pendant formats.
You are most likely to meet Edwardian and Victorian examples on this page, including lavalier designs, heart shapes, foliate wreaths, and insect motifs. Many pieces incorporate detachable brooch fittings or arrive with original boxes.
The materials reflect the specific standards of high-karat gold jewellery from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Makers paired the distinctive hue of 15ct gold with bright purple stones to create balanced pendants and necklaces.
Materials and construction
Goldsmiths utilised 15ct yellow gold to set faceted amethysts alongside pearls, natural pearls, seed pearls, peridots, and diamonds. This gold purity provides a warm, rich tone that supports intricate wirework and secure claw or bezel settings.
Constructors employed techniques typical of Art Nouveau, Edwardian, and Victorian styles, creating foliate wreaths, fan designs, crosses, and insect forms like flies and spiders. Many mountings doubled as brooches through integrated fittings.
15ct Amethyst Pendant Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for 15ct amethyst pendant among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Several pieces take the form of delicate gold flies and spiders, proving Victorians loved an eight-legged guest at the neck.
Defining quality
Quality rests on the fineness of the gold mounting and the depth of the amethyst's cut and colour. Superior pieces display crisp articulation in foliate or insect designs, secure pearl setting, and well-balanced proportions.
Makers who supplied named firms or utilised precious stones alongside diamonds achieved higher execution standards. The presence of original boxes and multi-stone combinations such as peridots and pearls also marks out the upper tier.
Hamilton and Co
The 15ct Amethyst Pendant Glossary
- 15ct gold
- An alloy of gold containing 62.5 percent pure gold, common in British jewellery before the standard changed to 9ct and 18ct.
- Lavalier
- A pendant necklace featuring a central stone or drop suspended below the main body, popular during the Edwardian period.
- Seed pearl
- Very small natural or cultured pearls threaded and set in clusters or floral arrangements.
- Foliate
- Ornamentation modelled on leaves, foliage, and natural plant forms seen in Edwardian and Art Nouveau pieces.
- Suffragette
- Jewellery incorporating green, white, and violet stones such as peridot, pearl, and amethyst to signal political allegiance.
15ct Amethyst Pendant: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 15ct amethyst pendant?
A 15ct amethyst pendant is an antique piece of jewellery made from 15-carat gold and set with purple amethysts, often accompanied by pearls or peridots.
These pieces typically date from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, showcasing styles from simple heart drops to intricate Art Nouveau floral designs.
How do I date an Edwardian amethyst pendant?
Dating relies on stylistic markers such as light, flowing Art Nouveau lines, garland motifs, and the combination of seed pearls with amethyst.
Physical evidence like 15ct gold hallmarks and original retailer boxes also helps establish the period of manufacture around 1900 to 1910.
Can these pendants be worn as brooches?
Many examples from this period feature detachable fittings or dual brooch-pendant mechanisms soldered to the reverse.
This versatility allowed Victorian and Edwardian wearers to pin the piece to clothing or suspend it from a chain as a necklace.
What is a Suffragette pendant?
Suffragette pendants use a specific colour combination of green, white, and violet to represent the movement's colours.
In these designs, peridots provide the green, pearls supply the white, and amethysts deliver the violet set within 15ct gold.