Lotus Garnet
2010s Tanzanian Modern Drop Earrings
Diamond, Garnet, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Garnet, Mandarin Garnet
2010s Sri Lankan Loose Gemstones
Garnet, Mandarin Garnet, Hessonite
2010s Loose Gemstones
Garnet, Hessonite
2010s Turkish Modern Fashion Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Sapphire, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Dutch Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Garnet, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Garnet, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold
Recent Sales
2010s American Artist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Garnet, Rose Gold, Platinum
2010s Egyptian Egyptian Revival Cocktail Rings
Garnet, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Drop Earrings
Diamond, Garnet, Purple Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Diamond, White D...
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Drop Earrings
Green Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Brown Diamond, Garnet, White Di...
2010s American Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Garnet, Sapphire, 22k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Link Necklaces
Coral, Carnelian, Garnet, Chalcedony, Lapis Lazuli, Citrine, Malachite, ...
2010s Cocktail Rings
Garnet, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Hoop Earrings
Iolite, Garnet, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Multi-gemstone, Blue Diamond, Black Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Di...
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Antique Mid-19th Century Pendant Necklaces
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Pearl, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold, ...
2010s African Modern Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire
Early 2000s Modernist Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, 18k Gold, 24k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Loose Gemstones
Spinel, Other
20th Century Thai Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Taiwanese Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Band Rings
Tsavorite, Sapphire, Ruby, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
20th Century French Solitaire Rings
Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Artisan Loose Gemstones
Spinel
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Artisan Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire
Antique 1890s Italian Late Victorian Dangle Earrings
Coral, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s African Loose Gemstones
Sapphire
1990s Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Malagasy Loose Gemstones
Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire
2010s Loose Gemstones
Indicolite, Tourmaline
2010s Cambodian Loose Gemstones
Zircon, Blue Zircon
Lotus Garnet For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Lotus Garnet?
Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
The Legacy of Garnet in Jewelry Design
Vintage and antique garnet jewelry has been around for a long time.
Garnets have been used for adornment going all the way back to the Bronze Age. While we will never know if garnets can be used to prevent plagues or heal warriors, as has been suggested, we do know that both the Egyptians and the Romans felt that it was a worthy stone to set in gold for their nobility. In more “recent” times, garnets were ubiquitous in Victorian jewelry. The “G” in REGARD rings, the equivalent of the modern-day engagement ring, implied garnet.
Garnets were also highly valued in the region of Bohemia. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has in its collection an antique hairpin with Bohemian pyrope garnets from the Czech Republic. Bohemian pyrope got its name from Bohuslav Balbín, sometimes referred to as the “Czech Pliny,” in 1679. Abundant in the region, it was used often in jewelry during this time. In fact, it became so popular that in 1762, Empress Marie Terezie forbade its export. Stonecutting workshops opened in several regions across Bohemia, and pyrope became the country’s mineralogical symbol. While there was never a decline in its popularity, it was only in the mid-20th century that garnets enjoyed a revival.
Garnets can come in many shapes and sizes — one of the largest ever discovered is a 68.82-carat Tsavorite garnet. This stone is also in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, Brazil’s mines are rich in garnets, including spessartine, which can also be found in the Myanmar area, recognized for a specific shade of reddish-orange. While red garnets are the most popular, garnets actually come in a medley of colors.
Find a collection of antique and vintage garnet rings, necklaces and other jewelry today on 1stDibs.