Spinel - Rare Navaratna pendant in 22 ct. gold, precious gemstones, and Minakari enamels, India, 19th - Pendant - Navaratna ('nine gems')

Navaratna pendant with Meenakari inlay, northern India, 19th century
Double-sided 22-carat gold pendant, decorated on the front with an elegant rosette motif and polychrome gemstones according to the traditional navaratna scheme, which involves the use of nine gemstones considered beneficial and auspicious in Indian astrology: spinels, diamonds, blue sapphire, pearl, red coral, and other precious stones. The gemstones, set in cabochon, are arranged within shaped settings that enhance their brightness, with a central radial pattern enriched by dotting with a burin on the gold background.
The reverse of the pendant reveals an elaborate decoration in polychrome enamels (Meenakari), crafted in fire on a gold sheet, featuring a lush floral pattern that alternates red flowers and green leaves on a yellow background, framed by a refined blue geometric border. This chromatic contrast and the lively rendering of the corollas are part of the Indo-Persian ornamental tradition, widely spread in Mughal court jewelry and in the workshops of Jaipur and Benares in the 19th century.
The upper part features three trilobed elements set in kundan with spinels that serve as connectors with the suspension ring.
Complete the composition with a terminal pendant featuring an oval-shaped cabochon emerald pearl, mounted on twisted gold wire. The alternation between the rich gem-studded face and the enameled surface of the back reflects the aesthetic conception of Indian goldsmithery, where every side of the object is decorated and made precious, confirming the apotropaic and votive character of such jewelry.
The quality of craftsmanship, the meticulous technique of Meenakari enamel, and the presence of the nine auspical gems allow the artifact to be placed within the refined production of northern India of the 19th century, in continuity with the late Mughal tradition.

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