Congratulations! What a fascinating piece of jewelry you have. To our dismay - no photo was uploaded. This unusual piece is a RELIQUARY PENDANT.
There are many different styles and forms of Reliquary. In this type of religious pendant - the pedant part forms the receptacle for keeping or displaying a religous relic or relics.
Some that were made to contain an important relic were often very highly decorated and ornamented with gemstones. Less elaborate ones were made of Silver or Silver-gilt and contained relics of less importance.
One fine 15th century medieval reliquary example is in the form of a circular locket with 8 pin-set natural pearls. Projecting from the rim and on the front is a figure of an angel in "email enronde bosse" which is a French term for an enamel on an object in the round. On the reverse is an engraving of John the Baptist. Inside the locket, the space is divided into compartments for the relics. It was sold in June 1978 by Sotheby's. The pendant was from the Von Hirsch Collection. Robert Von Hirsch was a German leather manufacturer and amassed an astonishing collection. The auction was termed the Sale of the Century and actor Jack Nicolson was in attendance, and also included, scetches, medallions and a canvass painted in 1907 by Pablo Picasso.
