David Scott Walker Sterling Silver Reversible Pendant Necklace - Blue John & Malachite - Sheffield 1987 - C2981

Summary

A David Scott Walker (DSW) sterling silver reversible pendant necklace, hallmarked Sheffield 1987, set with natural Blue John to one face and richly banded malachite to the reverse. Suspended from a sterling silver faceted link chain.

Description

This oval pendant was made by David Scott Walker and hallmarked at the Sheffield Assay Office in 1987. It is set with two natural stones - Blue John to one face and malachite to the reverse - allowing the necklace to be worn either way, each side offering a distinctly different look.

David Scott Walker established his Sheffield workshop during the latter part of the twentieth century and built a reputation for handcrafted silver jewellery that took British decorative hardstones seriously. Where much silver jewellery of the period treated the stone as secondary to the setting, Walker's approach was the reverse: the stones are chosen for their individual quality and the silver mount is designed to show them rather than contain them. His work is celebrated for its combination of clean contemporary silversmithing and carefully selected natural materials, and pieces bearing the DSW mark are increasingly sought after by collectors of British studio silver.

Blue John is found in only one place on earth - the caverns beneath Castleton in Derbyshire, England, specifically the mineral veins running through Treak Cliff Hill. It is a banded variety of fluorite, its characteristic purple and cream white veining the result of millions of years of mineral deposition. The annual extraction is strictly limited and the deposit finite, so little new material is available to to market each year, this has been pushing prices significantly over recent years.

Malachite, by contrast, is a copper carbonate mineral found across several continents, prized for its intense green colour and the concentric banding that makes each piece unique. The two stones sit at opposite ends of the colour spectrum - the cool purple-grey of the Blue John against the deep saturated green of the malachite.

The pendant is suspended from a sterling silver faceted link chain fitted with a lobster clasp.

Condition

Good vintage condition with some signs of wear consistent with normal use. The Blue John has natural flaws as expected for this gem. The clasp operates correctly.

Approximate Measurements

• Chain length: 45cm (17.72 inches)
• Pendant size: 22mm x 17mm (0.87 x 0.67 inches)
• Weight: 12.2 grams
• Material: Sterling silver
• Chain: Sterling silver faceted link chain with lobster clasp
• Stones: Natural Blue John (one side), natural malachite (reverse)
• Hallmarks: Sheffield 1987, David Scott Walker (DSW)

Code: C2981   NV25-4 & MR26-5

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