Thoughts on one more pendant please

[YadaYadaYada]

I sincerely hope I'm not making you guys crazy but I need some opinions on one more pendant. Still love the sapphire one but then I found this and now I'm up in the air.

14kt gold, white agate and black enamel with a ruby in the middle. I would wear it as a pendant and it is 1 1/4 inches long. Thing is that I'm really looking for an everyday piece and don't know if the enamel will be a concern say if I forget to take it off and jump in the shower for instance.

It is striking though and less expensive than the sapphire one. Just for reference I posted pictures of both.

Appreciate any thoughts and opinions

 

[meely]

I think I like it a bit better (only in that it's more quirky and I love monochrome - i like the other one too) but I agree with your durability concerns I wouldn't wear any enamelled piece on a day to day basis, I think it will chip. I wouldn't choose it for that reason. I think the first one is very classic and seems to go well with what I have seen of your jewelry aesthetic.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Thanks for your thoughts Meely! I really am looking for a signature piece so durability is paramount since it will be worn a lot and I agree about the potential for chipping on that enamel. Plus that would be a shame being in such great condition.

 

[stracci2000]

I think I prefer the top choice, because it looks more durable for everyday. And I love agate ...I have a small collection of vintage agate rings.
But as usual, I would want to see the back of the piece, and how the bail is attached. These both look like pin/pendants to me...am I right?

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I think I prefer the top choice, because it looks more durable for everyday. And I love agate ...I have a small collection of vintage agate rings.
But as usual, I would want to see the back of the piece, and how the bail is attached. These both look like pin/pendants to me...am I right?

Stracci, here is a back view, what do you think? Also do you think the enamel would be okay to wear daily? I am most concerned with damaging an otherwise excellent condition piece. I've been looking for something with onyx and ruby or pink sapphire but haven't had any luck. The pink sapphire pendant is great I just hope it's not too busy you know?

Also I'd love to see a picture of your agate ring collection

 

[stracci2000]

I'm sure you are super careful with your jewelry, and the enamel probably won't be an issue. I love circular shapes, so this agate pendant is very interesting to me. The gold work is gorgeous, and the prongs look sturdy on the ruby.
I do wonder how easy it would be to thread the loop end of a chain through that tiny bail. If necessary, you could use small pliers to "narrow" the loop of the chain.
Here is my agate collection....

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I LOVE your agate collection, that second necklace closest to your hand kind of looks like a landscape to me.

So the seller is asking $175 on the agate pendant but is open to negotiations, I am terrible at haggling, what is a fair price to offer? The sapphire pendant is significantly higher at $395 so that makes the agate all the more appealing lol!

 

[VRBeauty]

Is it really comfortable to wear that pin back against bare skin? I think it would bug me, but I have noticed that my skin is getting more sensitive to irritations as I get older.

For me - if I were buying that piece for regular wear as a pendant, I'd want the pin back removed and a better bail put on, all of which would have to be factored into the apparent price...

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Is it really comfortable to wear that pin back against bare skin? I think it would bug me, but I have noticed that my skin is getting more sensitive to irritations as I get older.

For me - if I were buying that piece for regular wear as a pendant, I'd want the pin back removed and a better bail put on, all of which would have to be factored into the apparent price...

Hmmm that's a good point VR and it applies to both of these since they both have the pin mechanism on the back. Thanks for mentioning it.

 

[Bron357]

You will have no real trouble with enamel as a pendant, provided it is on a short chain. What will wreck it is a long chain where the pendant can hit something as you sit down (or your teeth when run as happened to me !) Enamel is durable for wear, but not “impact” situations. Alot of 1920s ladies watches were enamelled which wore well. However the ball style pendant watches, worn on 25 / 27 inch chains are more often damaged (I collect vintage watches btw) from impact ie pendant hitting the table as they sat down.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Thanks Bron! This is a tough choice in a sense because I like them both. Of course I showed them to my husband and he likes the pink sapphire one but he probably thinks I'm just looking

 

[stracci2000]

You could purchase a jewelers saw kit (under $20) and cut off the pin back yourself.
Practice on some cheap costume jewelry. Buy some needle files at the hardware store to smooth any rough edges. Yes, you can do some repairs yourself, if you're serious about this!
I cut the pin backs off of the two pendants in the above photo. The pendant with the filigree frame and the beaded frame were both pins.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I am totally serious about learning this so thank you so much Stracci for all of your help and suggestions. I would never guess those were pins, its so great that you were able to take something not as wearable and make it something you can enjoy.

With my husband's blessing I bought my early birthday present and I picked.........

The sapphire pendant!! Of course I can't say no to pink ever! So Stracci if you are in the market to add that enamel agate pendant to your collection let me know!

 

[stracci2000]

I know you can do this!!!