1880s French Aurillac gold holy spirit pendant

This holy spirit pendant is a rare piece of French regional jewelry from Auvergne. It is crafted from 18k solid gold and adorned with garnets,  green pastes, citrines, and amethysts.  What makes this piece exceptionally unique is its substantial size and the impeccable condition of its enamel. Old Holy Spirit pendants often feature delicate gold and commonly suffer from enamel damage. This pendant is a remarkable exception, with all of its enamel in very good condition.

The downward dove on the pendant symbolizes the Holy Spirit, while the three water-drop-shaped pendants represent the tears of Christ. The Holy Spirit pendant is a symbolic expression of faith, often given by a future husband to his bride or passed down from mother to daughter. It becomes a part of the owner's life journey and evolves with her; some even say that extra plaques for crosses and pendants were added to mark the birth of each child. In this particular Holy Spirit pendant, the presence of two extended plaques suggests that its owner had two children.

You can explore more pieces from our collection by using our tag #holyspirit.

The pendant is in good antique condition, displaying typical signs of oxidation and wear from previous use. Please keep in mind that evaluating the item's condition can be subjective, so we recommend clicking on our photos and zooming in to examine more details for your own assessment.