Victorian Foiled Paste Cross | Ruby-Red Centre in Silver | English c.1830s

A bold and beautifully preserved English cross pendant, crafted circa 1820–1850 from sterling silver and set with brilliantly foiled paste stones.

At its heart glows a vivid red paste gem, backed with coloured foil,  mimicking a ruby with striking depth and warmth.

Surrounding it, twelve large clear paste stones catch and reflect the light like old-cut diamonds, each one hand-set in a closed-back silver mount, typical of early 19th-century English craftsmanship.

This cross would have been worn for devotion, sentiment, or high fashion, perhaps all three, and speaks to a time when paste jewellery was admired not just as imitation, but as a treasured artform in its own right.

Its size and symmetry give it real presence when worn on a silver chain or velvet ribbon.

Whether collected for its historical significance, its dramatic beauty, or its quiet emotional power, this is a deeply evocative survivor of Georgian-to-Victorian England, still luminous, still meaningful, nearly two centuries on.

Width 6cm Length 8.5cm

Available exclusively at ELTONS, specialists in antique jewellery, London.