I know you’ve seen them — especially at pawn shops or jewelry stores that have been around for over 40+ years — gemstone pendants in gold basket settings. These were very popular in the 80s & 90s and were seen taking up space within each jewelry store’s glass displays. They were perfect for anyone who came wandering in clueless as to what to purchase for their partner for any and every occasion. Christmas? Gemstone pendant. Birthday? Gemstone pendant. Anniversary? Gemstone pendant. It was a flawless gift because you didn’t need to know her finger size, whether she had her ears pierced or not, or anything else significant for that matter. If you were really good and you remembered which month she was born in, you could get her birthstone!
A lot of the time these gemstone pendants were made by jewelers in house. Resetting stones from jewelry that was passed down was also a common occurrence, and again the most suggested and easiest route was…you guessed it…GEMSTONE PENDANT. So it is no wonder I see these everywhere I go. Through my travels to jewelry stores across the US I’ve seen these pendants more than any other type of jewelry. Same goes for online treasure hunting — if you do a quick search on Ruby Lane or eBay for ‘gemstone pendant‘ thousands of these show up.
So I set out on a quest to collect some of these pendants and make them into something “cooler” and more 2020 instead of 1981. I got lucky because I didn’t have to do any long-term collecting to make this happen — my one-stop-shop happened with Rambling Rose Estate Jewelry. They were great helping me find what I needed from afar, sending videos and photos of pieces via DM. I ended up buying four amethyst pendants in various sizes and shapes. Some had diamond accents, some did not. I put together the pendants and had them soldered as one piece, almost like a “wand” and started off with the biggest first, and graduating in size. Some of the amethysts didn’t match in tone, but I didn’t let that affect the outcome. I still think it turned out amazing!
What do you think?! If you’d like to have one of these made with your old pendants, just let me know! I can do that for you!
