Silverman Galleries Antiques & Antique Jewelry

08/06/2024

05/04/2024

Malachite ...

03/01/2024

An antique Schiacca "Fossil" Coral 52" Sautoir necklace of tiny beads, with faceted large bead spaders, at Silverman Galleries ... circa 1910, recently restrung

03/01/2024

SCIACCA CORAL ... a unique natural Mediterranean coral harvested from ancient non-living colonies, discovered 1875 in sedimentary deposit off the coast at Sciacca, Sicily.
Sometimes called "fossil" or "sub-fossil" coral, because all Sciacca coral tested has been dated to the first century AD/CE or earlier, and some as early as 7000-7500 BCE. (Wow !)

Terms like ”fossil” or “sub-fossil” corals in jewellery are usually associated with the precious coral recovered from sedimentary deposits or from the sea bed as non living colonies. The scientific meaning a fossil implies a geological context that is not actually verified in these particular cases! The most popular example here would be Sciacca coral, the historically relevant Mediterranean coral (Corallium rubrum) sedimentary deposit that was discovered in 1875 off the coast of Sciacca, Sicily, with an estimated output of 14,000 tonnes produced in only a few years. The estimated age of the coral branches in this deposit was studied by fellow gemmologists Margherita Superchi and Elena Gambini at the Centre for Dating and Diagnostics of the Università del Salento and the majority pre-dated the Ist century AD, with the oldest dating back to between 7570 and 7070 BC. Interestingly, these corals are not fished but rather collected as non-living branches.
With to learn more about this variety of Mediterranean coral, join in the session next Tuesday. More info in the link in bio
A 21st century-made Sciacca coral small bead necklace © Assael, and a late 19th century demi-parure from Naples at the Vincenzo LIVERINO museum collection.

02/27/2024

(Chameleon Diamonds : You don't see too many of these around)

02/14/2024

"FIREBALL" (Kasumiga) PEARLS, a variety of freshwater cultured pearls was first developed the 1960's in Japan's Lake Kasumigaura, based on a new type of Japanese-Chinese hybrid mussel ... further developed in the early 2000's.

02/05/2024

Pearl or natural pearl?
This is indeed an interesting terminology debate. According to the World Jewellery Confederation - CIBJO, a natural pearl must be formed without human intervention in the interior of molluscs and within naturally formed pearl sacs and the word "pearl", if used without qualification, shall refer only to a natural pearl, but further recommends, to avoid confusion and/or misinterpretation, that natural pearls be labelled as "natural pearls”. If the pearl secretion is formed with human intervention, and that has been documented for centuries, then the word "cultured" must be associated: if formed within a cultured pearl sac, a cultured pearl, if not formed within a cultured pearl sac, a cultured blister, for example.

Natural pearls in the modern markets, specially if not within Persian or Arabian cultures, are seldom seen as most pearl products in the jewellery industry are cultured pearls (e.g. akoya cultured pearls, south sea cultured pearls, tahitian cultured pearls, freshwater cultured pearls). However, these cultured pearls are only occasionally referred to as "cultured pearls" with the word "pearl" being used to describe them. The argument being the fact that it is implied that consumers acknowledge that if they were natural pearls they would be highlighted as such. It happens that not everyone is educated in pearl facts and following the current industry standards by CIBJO will result in an unambiguous and very clear discourse.
In the photo, the famous "Canning Jewel" pendant, made in ca. 1850-60, set with pearls, table cut diamonds and rubies. © Victoria & Albert Museum

12/14/2023