Contemporary 48 Carat Aquamarine and Diamond Pendant, 14K White Gold

A single oval aquamarine commands nearly the entire pendant, its pale blue-green body clear enough that light travels straight through the stone rather than stopping at the surface. At this size, the color reads as a wash rather than a point, filling the whole face of the pendant with a cool, water-like tone. A tight halo of pavé diamonds outlines the stone's full perimeter, giving the edge a bright, continuous sparkle that contrasts with the aquamarine's calm, transparent center. Above it, the bail is worked into a soft figure-eight, its own line of pavé diamonds tracing the loop before it meets the chain.

Aquamarine of this size and clarity is genuinely uncommon; the gem forms in large, relatively clean crystals more often than comparable colored stones, but a 48-carat cut stone with this level of transparency is still a substantial find, and pieces built to showcase a single stone at this scale are a distinctly contemporary approach to colored-stone jewelry.

The pendant presents in excellent condition, with bright polish, a securely set center stone, and no visible chips or looseness in the pavé diamonds. Stamped "585," the pendant measures 2 inches by 1.25 inches and hangs from a 15-inch 14K white gold chain, with a total weight of 20.8 grams.