DATE: Victorian, c.1890

In ancient Greek society, amethysts were considered an antidote against drunkenness - the name "amethystos" literally translates as "not intoxicated", or not drunken. This property first appears in the poetry of Asclepiades of Samos:

"Drunkenness am I — a gem worked by a subtle hand. I am graven in amethyst, and the subject and the stone are ill-assorted.

But I am the precious property of Kleopatra, and on the finger of a Queen even “drunkenness” should be sober."

And an epigram by Plato the Younger states, "The stone is an amethyst; but I, the tipler Dionysus, say, ‘Let it either persuade me to be sober, or let it learn to get drunk.'"

Indeed, wine goblets were often carved from it (imagine...) in an attempt to preserve the wine-drinker's sanity. By the 1st century AD, however, the power of amethyst in this regard appears to have been thoroughly discredited, as Pliny the Elder writes in The Natural History, "The falsehoods of the magicians would persuade us that these stones are preventive of inebriety, and that it is from this that they have derived their name."

Amethyst was considered a cardinal/precious gemstone - along with diamond, sapphire, ruby, and emerald - up until the 18th century, prized for its colour (purple has long held regal connotations), perceived powers, and scarcity.

This striking late Victorian necklace is set with four vibrant faceted amethysts. It's crafted in 9k gold throughout, handmade in England in the 1890s, with three round stones set above a pear-shaped drop. The stones are linked by square profile bars, and it remains in excellent condition.

STONES 

Natural Amethyst

MEASUREMENTS 

Wearable length: 15 inches

Pendant: 5.0 x 3.3cm

WEIGHT 

5.7g

MARKS 

No marks present, tests as 9k gold

CONDITION 

Excellent