PENDANT

Post Medieval gold lozenge-shaped pendant with four triangular cut diamonds at the corners, each with three small projecting knops at the edge, and four projecting table-cut diamonds in between them, each also with three projecting knops. At the centre is a table-cut red stone in a gold collet. There is a suspension loop at the top attached to finial; smaller suspension loop at the base. On the back the projecting knops are enamelled white with small gold patterning to the left in reserve, and with most of the body green (some enamel missing). At the centre, there is a star motif between two scrolls of gold, perhaps part of an original pin fitting now missing. Keying for enamel is visible in some areas.

The style and facture of the piece suggest a late 16th or very early 17th century date for this jewel. Pendants are one of the most common types of 16th century jewels to survive and were worn in various ways including being attached to clothing or hanging from chains or ribbons. Diamonds of different cuts could be combined as here.

Diana Scarisbrick (in Jewellery in Britain 1066-1837, London 1994, p. 127) notes that Anne of Denmark had a pendant "garnished with Lozange, table and triangle small Diamonds having five triangle diamonds pendant all in Collets". Similar pendants were worn at the base of the stomacher or on belts by noblewomen or by the Queen; Elizabeth I is shown wearing a similar pendant to this one in The Armada portrait in the Tyrwhitt Drake collection (Royal Museums Greenwich, object ID: 7BA7719​​​​​​), which has pendant pearl attached and hangs from a ribbon bow.

The pendant is 22.64mm long (excluding suspension loop), 19.44mm wide, 5.23mm thick. The suspension loop has an external diameter of 6.23mm. The pendant weighs 4.99 grams.