5.10 CT Marquise Double Cabochon Fashion Pendant in 18kt Yellow Gold
A one-of-a-kind white opal pendant in yellow gold. A 5.10 carat marquise double cabochon opal, full of soft pink, green, blue and orange play-of-color, is held by textured, organic gold branches that wrap its edges, with seven round diamonds set among them in small white bezels. A textured bail completes the design. It comes with a written appraisal for insurance and can be seen in person at our Boca Raton showroom.
PRODUCT DETAILS
- Designed By:
- David Stern Jewelers
- Sub Category:
- Pendants, Necklaces
- Sku Number:
- dsj_fcj_07700131
STONE DETAILS
- Center Stone:
- Marquise Opal
- Secondary Stone:
- 0.25 ct tw Round Diamond
- Color And Clarity:
- I
- Total Carat Weight:
- 5.35 ct tw
METAL DETAILS
- Metal Type:
- 14kt Yellow Gold
- Gold Content:
- 58.3% pure
CERTIFICATION
- Appraised By:
- David Stern, G.I.A. Gemologist
- Appraisal Included:
- Yes, complimentary
Free Jewelry Appraisal with $2500 Purchase
David Stern Jewelers guarantees every piece of jewelry we sell, which is why we include a free jewelry appraisal with every item purchased.
DESCRIPTION
This white opal pendant is a one-of-a-kind piece in yellow gold, built around a 5.10 carat marquise double cabochon opal full of soft pastel play-of-color. Instead of a conventional frame, the opal is held by branches of textured, organic gold that wrap its edges, and seven round diamonds are set among the branches like drops of dew. What follows describes the exact piece you will see in our Boca Raton showroom.
The 5.10 carat white opal
The center stone is an opal of 5.10 carats, cut in an elongated marquise shape with softly pointed ends. It is a white opal: its body color is a pale, milky white, and across that background play flashes of pink, green, blue and orange that move as the pendant turns.
The Gemological Institute of America explains that opal's play-of-color comes from microscopic spheres of silica inside the stone, which split light into spectral colors. In a white opal, those colors appear against a light background, which gives the stone its soft, luminous, almost pearly look.
The opal is cut as a double cabochon, polished to a smooth dome on both sides rather than flat on the back. That shape lets light enter from front and back, adding depth to the color and giving the stone a rounded, three-dimensional presence.
Every opal is unique. No other white opal pendant shows this exact pattern of color, which is part of what makes an opal pendant such a personal piece.
An organic gold pendant
What makes this piece remarkable is the goldwork. Rather than a smooth bezel or neat prongs, the opal is held by an organic gold pendant setting: gold that has been textured and shaped to look like branches, bark or molten metal, flowing around the stone's edges and reaching across its face.
Some branches wrap the sides of the opal, others curl over the top, and small tendrils reach down into the stone to hold it securely. The effect is natural and sculptural, as if the gold had grown around the opal.
At the top of this organic gold pendant, a textured gold bail with fine vertical lines echoes the bark-like finish and connects the pendant to its chain. The whole piece feels handmade and individual, a world away from mass-produced jewelry.
An opal and diamond pendant
Set among the gold branches are seven round diamonds, each in its own small white bezel. They are scattered across the design rather than arranged in a neat halo, so they catch light like drops of water on a branch.
That is what makes this an opal and diamond pendant with real character. The crisp white sparkle of the diamonds contrasts with the soft glow of the opal and the warm texture of the gold, and each material makes the others look better.
The diamonds in this opal and diamond pendant are recorded as I color, in the near-colorless range. Set in white bezels against the yellow gold, they read as bright white points of light.
A yellow gold opal pendant
Yellow gold is a natural partner for white opal. Its warmth brings out the pink, orange and green flashes in the stone and gives the whole piece a glowing, sunlit feel. A yellow gold opal pendant also sits beautifully against the skin and pairs easily with other gold jewelry.
On a yellow gold opal pendant, the textured finish of the gold catches light differently from polished metal, creating a soft shimmer that suits the opal's gentle play-of-color.
In the photograph, the pendant hangs on a yellow gold paperclip-link chain, a modern style with long, flat oval links. Ask us about chain options and lengths when you visit.
How this white opal pendant wears
This white opal pendant is striking without being heavy. The elongated shape hangs gracefully and draws the eye downward, which flatters most necklines, from an open collar to a simple crew neck.
The soft colors of white opal go with almost everything: white, cream, navy, black, pastels and denim. It is a piece that works for daytime and evening alike, and it stands out without overwhelming an outfit.
We will fit it on you in the showroom so you can see how it hangs, and we can help you choose the chain length that suits you best.
An October birthstone pendant
Opal is a birthstone for October, alongside tourmaline, and GIA's guide to the October birthstones covers both. With its pastel play-of-color and sculptural setting, this is an October birthstone pendant with far more personality than a small stone on a chain.
Opal is also the traditional gift for the fourteenth wedding anniversary, and an October birthstone pendant works for either occasion. Because no two opals are alike, it is a gift that is truly one of a kind.
Why the marquise shape
The marquise is an elongated shape with pointed ends, sometimes called a navette, meaning little boat. It has been used in fine jewelry for centuries because it makes a stone look longer and larger than its weight suggests.
On a pendant, that length is flattering. It draws a vertical line down the neckline, much as a V-neck does. For an opal, the long shape also gives more room for play-of-color to move from end to end.
In this piece the marquise is softened by the organic gold around it, so it feels natural rather than geometric. The branches break up the outline in a few places, so the stone reads less like a cut gem and more like something found in nature, which suits the gentle, shifting color of opal perfectly. Legend has it that the shape was named for the smile of a French marquise, and whether or not the story is true, it remains one of the most graceful outlines in jewelry.
White opal compared with other opals
Opals are grouped by their body color. Black opal has a dark body and shows the most dramatic, high-contrast color. Crystal opal is transparent to translucent, with color that seems to float inside. White opal has a light, milky body, giving it the soft, pastel look seen here.
Each type has its admirers. White opal is prized for its gentle, luminous quality and for how easily it pairs with gold and with everyday clothing. The International Gem Society gives a good overview of the different kinds of opal.
The art of organic goldwork
Organic goldwork became especially popular in the 1960s and 1970s, when jewelers began to move away from polished, symmetrical settings toward textures inspired by nature: tree bark, branches, coral and molten metal. The style celebrated the handmade and the irregular, and it paired naturally with stones like opal, whose own color is never the same twice.
Pieces in this style are often made by carving the design in wax and casting it, or by shaping and texturing the metal by hand. Either way, the result is a surface full of movement and light, where no two areas look alike.
An organic gold pendant like this one suits people who want jewelry with character. It reads as a piece of art first and a piece of jewelry second, and it tends to draw compliments and questions wherever it is worn.
Where fine opal comes from
Most of the world's precious opal has come from Australia since the late nineteenth century, and white opal from Australian fields remains among the most familiar. Significant deposits have also been found in Ethiopia, Mexico and Brazil, each with its own character.
Opal forms when water carrying dissolved silica seeps into cracks in rock and slowly deposits it. Over very long periods the silica settles into the orderly stacks of tiny spheres that create play-of-color. Only a small fraction of the opal that forms has spheres regular enough to show color at all.
That is why a well-colored white opal pendant of more than five carats is worth studying in person. We are happy to show it to you under different lights so you can see its full range.
Wearing a yellow gold opal pendant with other jewelry
A yellow gold opal pendant pairs naturally with other warm gold pieces: simple gold hoops, a gold bangle or a watch with a gold case. The soft colors of the opal also sit well beside pearls, which share its gentle, luminous quality.
Because the design is sculptural, it looks best worn on its own at the neckline rather than layered with several other pendants. Let the opal and the goldwork be the focus.
How to judge an opal pendant in person
Start with play-of-color. Look at how much of the face shows color, how bright it is and how the pattern moves as you tilt the stone. Broad flashes across the whole surface are more valued than small pinpoints in one area.
Next, look at the colors themselves. Red and orange are the rarest flashes in opal, with green and blue more common. A stone that shows pink and orange alongside green and blue is showing a good range.
Then look at the body. Check for cracks or crazing, a network of fine surface lines. The dome should be smooth and evenly polished.
Finally, look at the setting. The gold should hold the opal snugly on all sides, and each diamond should sit level in its bezel. That is where a well-made organic gold pendant shows its quality.
What sets this opal and diamond pendant apart
Most opal pendants use a simple bezel or a row of prongs. This one uses sculpted, textured gold that becomes part of the design, with diamonds scattered through it. It looks like a piece of wearable art rather than a stone in a mount.
And because both the opal and the goldwork are unique, you will not see another like it. This is the only one in our case.
Choosing a white opal pendant as a gift
A white opal pendant is one of the more personal fine jewelry gifts you can choose. It does not depend on a ring size, the soft colors flatter almost everyone, and every opal is one of a kind. The questions worth asking are simple: does the person like artistic, organic designs, and do they wear yellow gold?
If the answer to both is yes, this is a piece that will be worn often. If it is an October birthday or a fourteenth anniversary, the stone carries its own meaning as well.
We are glad to help you decide. Bring a photo of what they usually wear, and we will tell you honestly whether this piece suits them.
Caring for a yellow gold opal pendant
Opal contains a small amount of water, so it dislikes heat and sudden changes of temperature. Clean your yellow gold opal pendant with lukewarm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft brush, working gently into the textured gold, then dry it carefully. Never use an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. The International Gem Society's opal care guide covers this in detail, and our jewelry care guide covers the rest.
Take the pendant off before swimming, bathing, exercising or cleaning. Chlorine, household chemicals and knocks are the main risks to opal.
Store the white opal pendant on its own in a soft, lined pouch or box. Diamonds are much harder than opal and can scratch it.
Bring it in once a year and we will clean it professionally and check the gold branches and diamond bezels at no charge.
Appraisal, documentation and what you receive
Every opal pendant at this level leaves with a written appraisal describing the metal, the stones, the measurements and a stated replacement value for insurance. That document is what your insurer will ask for, and it is worth updating every few years as gold and gem prices move. Our jewelry appraisals page explains how we do it.
You can see our full range of necklaces and pendants alongside this one, and our diamond and gemstone education pages set out how grading actually works. If you would like a piece altered, or something built around a stone you already own, we do that too through our design service.
See this white opal pendant in Boca Raton
Photographs of opal are especially unreliable. The play-of-color changes with every movement and every light source, and a still image can only show one moment of it. A piece like this has to be seen in person, which is why we would rather you came in and looked at it than bought it sight unseen.
David Stern Jewelers has been in business for over 40 years, family owned since 1970, and the showroom is at 21073 Powerline Rd #37, Boca Raton. We are open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 10:30am to 4:30pm. Call 561-994-3330 and we will have the piece waiting, or book an appointment for a quieter time.
Common questions about this white opal pendant
How large is the opal?
The opal is a marquise double cabochon of 5.10 carats, polished to a smooth dome on both sides.
What is a white opal?
A white opal has a light, milky body color with flashes of spectral color across it. It gives a softer, more pastel look than black opal, and pairs beautifully with yellow gold.
What is a double cabochon?
A double cabochon is a stone polished into a dome on both the front and the back, instead of having a flat base. It lets light into the stone from both sides and gives it a fuller, rounded look.
How many diamonds are in the pendant?
There are seven round diamonds, each set in its own small white bezel among the gold branches. They are recorded as I color.
Is opal durable enough to wear often?
Opal is softer than most gems, at about 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, but a pendant sees far less contact than a ring. Take it off for swimming, exercise and housework, avoid heat and chemicals, and it will wear well for many years.
How should I clean an opal pendant?
Use lukewarm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft brush, then dry it gently. Never use an ultrasonic or steam cleaner, and avoid sudden changes of temperature.
Is opal an October birthstone?
Yes. Opal is one of the October birthstones, alongside tourmaline, and a traditional gift for the fourteenth wedding anniversary.
Does it come with a chain?
It is photographed on a yellow gold paperclip-link chain. Ask us about chain options and lengths when you visit, and we will help you choose the one that suits you.
Does the pendant come with an appraisal?
Yes. It leaves with a written appraisal describing the metal, the stones and the measurements, with a replacement value your insurer can use.
Can a similar piece be made to order?
Yes. Through our custom design service we can create an organic gold setting around another opal or a stone you already own, in yellow, white or rose gold.
One last practical note. Because this is a single piece rather than stock, it can sell on any given day, and we do not hold items without a deposit. If you have seen this white opal pendant here and intend to come in, a phone call first will confirm it is still in the case and save you the trip if it is not.
