Circa 1750 18ct Gold 'Coque de Perle'

Regular Price
£450.00
Sale Price
£450.00
Regular Price
Sold Out
Unit Price
Translation missing: en.general.accessibility.unit_price_separator 
#73051
Visa Mastercard American Express PayPal Klarna Apple Pay Google Pay

A beautiful piece of jewellery history, we have had this sublime remnant from a glamorous past life lovingly restored to a pendant by our clever jeweller (who said he very much enjoyed doing the work). Mounted in glossy 18ct yellow Gold, this oval of Nautilus shell dates to the mid 18th century, when as the height of fashion, earrings and pendants were worn by the well-to-do. 

On a Silver Gilt chain measuring 24 inches, the pendant itself measures an inch lengthwise. 

According to French expert Jean Henri Prosper Pouget writing in 1762:
"Coque de perles are flat on one side, and are used for ornaments, one side of which only is seen. By Pliny they are called physemata. Artificial pearls of this kind have, for some time past, been employed in making ear-rings..... 'La Coque de perle,' says he, "is not formed in a pearl-shell like the pearl; it is procured from a kind of snail found only in the East-Indies. There are several species of them. The shell of this animal is sawn in two, and one Coque only can be obtained from each. The Coques are very small, and one is obliged to fill them with tears of mastic to give them a body, before they can be employed. This beautiful snail is found generally in the sea, and sometimes on the shore.'"

Read more about Coque de Perle here...

Most of our rings can be adjusted to fit for free, this can be done on purchase by making a note in the order form if you know the size, or at a later date if it is a gift. You can download our handy ring sizing guide here, but don't hesitate to contact us if you need further help with this. If visiting us size adjustments can usually be done in around an hour-ish. 

We love to hear from our customers!

Please leave details of your query, including the SKU code of the item you are interested in.

If you'd like to make an appointment, let us know your preferred date(s) and time.

Here are details of our INSTALMENT PAYMENT PLANS.

Our email address is sales@fetheray.com

You can call us on 01273 326618

Buying from us...

Payment is made securely through Shopify with a credit or debit card, or alternatively via bank transfer, Paypal, cheque or cash. Our telephone number is 01273 326618. 

Once payment has been received, you will receive an email confirmation of your order and we will begin to arrange delivery of your purchase.

All items come with a presentation box and items over £500 with an insurance valuation. In the rare instance that the original box is available, this will be included. We can also giftwrap your special purchase.

Returns or exchanges are simple, should your purchase be unsuitable for any reason.

Delivery of your precious items...

UK Delivery

Posted by insured and trackable Royal Mail ‘Special Delivery’. Guaranteed for the next day after posting.

International Delivery

Outside of the UK delivery costs £12.50. We use Royal Mail Tracked and Signed, but we often upgrade to FedEx courier for free.

Shop Pick-up

All of our items can be viewed in our shop in Brighton Lanes, so if you'd like to order and pick up just let us know...