Pendant Brooch

c. 1890–1910

Pendant Brooch, c. 1890–1910. America. Pink tourmaline, diamonds, gold, platinum; overall: 6 x 3 x 1 cm (2 3/8 x 1 3/16 x 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2009.359 Brightly colored gemstones, paired with diamonds, were quite fashionable during the Gilded Age because of their ability to coordinate well with the myriad colors of silk fabric used to make formal dresses at the time. They were also prized for their size and depth of color. This pendant brooch provides a traditional setting typical of the period in which two large tourmalines are surrounded by a halo of white diamonds. Around 1900, pink tourmalines were most often found in Maine and California.