Gold Sterling Silver Vermeil Blue Sapphire & Diamond Heart Pendant Necklace 18"

This 925 sterling silver vermeil pendant necklace forms an open heart set with blue sapphires along one curve and diamonds along the other. The sapphires are round cut and prong set in a graduated row, deep midnight blue that reads almost black until light hits it and pulls out the color. Opposite them, the diamond side is finished in bright white metal so the heart splits visually into a warm gold half and a cool white half. The open silhouette is what makes it work; there is no backing plate, so the pendant reads light on the neck and lets skin or clothing show through the center of the heart.

Vermeil is a step above ordinary plating: the gold is applied over solid sterling silver rather than base metal, which is why the color has real depth and the piece has weight to it. The reverse is stamped 925 with a country mark. The pendant hangs from a substantial split bail on an 18 inch box chain, a link style that resists kinking far better than a rope or snake chain and lies perfectly flat.

The 18 inch length sits right at the collarbone on most people, which is the sweet spot for a pendant this size, and it layers well with a shorter chain.

Verifications:
Sterling silver has been verified using JSP Silver Testing Solution.
Blue sapphire has been verified using a Presidium Gem Tester II.
Diamonds have been verified using a Presidium Adamas Diamond Tester, which specifically distinguishes diamonds from moissanite.

Details:
Metal: Gold vermeil over 925 sterling silver
Hallmarks: 925, CHINA
Stones: Blue sapphire and diamond
Style: Open heart pendant on box chain
Length: 18 inches
Condition: Good estate condition

Fun Facts:
Sapphire and ruby are the same mineral, corundum, and the only thing separating them is trace chemistry: iron and titanium make the blue, chromium makes the red.
Vermeil takes its name from the French word for vermilion, and to be legally sold as vermeil in the U.S. a piece must have a sterling silver base with a gold layer of at least 10K and 2.5 microns thick, a real standard that plain "gold plated" has to meet no part of.