Head set with a free-form opal slice, with a sapphire-set decoration
Body set with circular-cut red spinels
Head and tail highlighted by tiny brilliant-cut diamonds
18 karat pink gold
Catalogue Essay
Precious opals show a play-of-colour when tiny spheres of amorphous silica diffract the passing light into its component colours. Among all the rainbow colours, red and orange are considered the most valuable, as seen on this brooch. Only when the spheres are arranged in a regular and repetitive pattern will the play-of-colour be evident. For the rarer red colour to appear, spheres has to be larger than the usual 150nm, but not more than 350nm. The more uniform the size of the spheres, the more intense, brilliant and defined the colour will be.
602
A Opal, Gem-set and Diamond 'Fish' Brooch, Stewart Young
Estimate HK$60,000 - 80,000 $7,500-10,000
Contact Specialist
Terry Chu
Head of Jewellery, Asia, Senior Director
+852 2318 2038