Gold and Sapphire Navette Pendant “Zephyra”

Description

Sublime 18-carat gold pendant from the 70s set with three 0.2-carat marquise-cut sapphires in a deep indigo blue, and haloed with a subtle setting made of mirror-finished yellow gold scrolls and highlighted with a diamond-finished white gold line. The pendant’s fixed bail holds this refined piece discreetly.
Length: 2cm with bail, 1.5cm without
Width: 1.2cm
Weight: 1.55g
Eagle hallmark
This unique piece had a previous life in France.

The story: Sapphire, from the Latin sapphirus and the Greek sappheiros meaning “blue stone”, is a variety of corundum renowned for its hardness (9 on the Mohs scale) and its luster. The most famous come from Sri Lanka, Kashmir and Burma, prized for their intense blue. A symbol of wisdom, fidelity and protection, it adorned crowns and sacred jewelry. In 1902, Auguste Verneuil revolutionized jewelry with his flame fusion technique, making it possible to create chemically identical sapphires while preserving their brilliance and exceptional color, making them immediately popular in jewelry at the time.