A fabulous little Victorian Essex crystal in the form of an owl's head.  This little owl is carved into a piece of cabochon rock crystal in a technique perfected at the end of the Victorian era.  Working from the flat back of the crystal, the artisan carves a detailed 3-D design into it. This design is then painted (in revserse with the finer details done first) and then the crystal is backed with mother of pearl so that the design seems to float, in three dimensions, inside the crystal when viewed from the front.  This technique is called a “reverse carving.”  The owl is mounted in gold with a gold runner ring.
 
Era: Victorian, 1839 - 1901
Measurements: Pendant 1.5cm diameter
Hallmarks: Unmarked - tests as 18ct gold