Rare Art Nouveau Burmese Spinel Diamond Pendant

This rare pendant was made in Saint Petersburg between 1904 and 1908 by Carl Blank, jeweler of the Russian Imperial Court and Tsar Nicholas II. The pendant is finely crafted in matte platinum (front) and 14K gold (back). It features two excellent red spinels from Burma accented by old mine cut diamonds. The spinels were tested by Swiss Gemmological Institute in Basel (test report no. 87913) and found to be natural and untreated. Estimated total spinel weight is 2.70 carats. Approximate total diamond weight is 3.18 carats. In the early 1900s, platinum was an exotic metal. In Russia, it was rarely used in jewelry (not until 1930s). Apparently only jewelers of the Imperial court like Faberge, Bolin and Blank experimented with platinum. Marked on frame with 56 zolotnik old Russian gold standard (there was no mark for platinum at that time) and on bail with maker’s initials ‘ CB’ for Carl Blank, St. Petersburg assay mark with initials ‘AP’ for assay master Alexander Romanov (1904-1908). Width is 34 mm (1 5/16 in.) Total length with the bail is 72 mm (2 13/16 in.)