Purple Glass Pendant
These purple glass pendant selections bring deep violet tones and striking forms from the Georgian period through to the mid-twentieth century.
Purple Glass Pendant
When you search for a purple glass pendant, you are looking at items shaped from glass, paste glass, crystal, and pate de verre in rich amethyst and violet shades, often mounted in silver or gold.
The selections on this page span from Georgian foiled crosses and Victorian paste hearts to Art Deco pate de verre works and Murano caged designs.
You will encounter heart charms, fob pendants, cross pendants, and larger lighting fixtures such as chandeliers alongside standard necklaces and pendants.
How they were made
The makers utilised moulded glass, crystal, and paste glass, sometimes forming intricate pate de verre figures like butterflies and cicadas.
Metalwork involved silver, gilded brass, 18ct gold, 18K yellow gold, and 14CT gold to create settings, bezels, and cages for the glass elements.
Materials across these listings include glass, silver, paste glass, metal, crystal, 18ct gold, amethyst paste, and gold.
What varies in quality
Quality rests upon the depth and clarity of the purple glass or paste, alongside the complexity of the metal mounting, whether cast in yellow gold or set in silver.
Artistic execution distinguishes standard commercial items from signed studio pieces such as those by Gabriel Argy-Rousseau.
Gabriel Argy-Rousseau·Argy Rousseau
The Purple Glass Pendant Glossary
- Paste glass
- A heavy, high-refractive glass used to imitate gemstones like amethyst. It is hand-cut and polished to catch the light.
- Pate de verre
- A glass-crafting method involving crushed glass packed into a mould and fused in a kiln. This creates a textured, translucent finish.
- Foiled
- A technique where a reflective metallic sheet is placed behind glass or paste to enhance brilliance and colour depth.
- Fob charm
- A small decorative ornament originally hung from a pocket watch chain, adapted here to be worn as a pendant.
Purple Glass Pendant: Frequently Asked Questions
What periods do these purple glass pendant examples cover?
The available listings span from the Georgian era through the Victorian period and into the early twentieth century, including Art Deco and 1940s Retro Modern designs.
You will find examples dated from the nineteenth century up to the 1940s, reflecting changing tastes in jewellery and lighting.
How are the pendants mounted?
Mountings include silver, gilded brass, 18ct gold, 18K yellow gold, and 14CT gold settings.
Some pieces utilise metal cages or delicate bezels to secure the glass or crystal components.
What styles are represented in the lighting pieces?
The larger lighting fixtures include French Chateau, Italian Venetian, and French Rococo Revival styles.
These chandeliers combine metal frameworks with amethyst crystal and purple glass elements.
How do paste glass items differ from standard glass?
Paste glass is specially formulated with lead to mimic the weight and refractive qualities of genuine gemstones such as amethyst.
It is traditionally hand-cut and polished rather than simply moulded.