Australian Arts & Crafts Rhoda Wager Opal Pendant

Rhoda_Wager_Arts_and_Crafts_Opal_Pendant

If you are a collector of Australian antique jewellery or simply a lover of nature and opals, then this is an incredible pendant to add to your collection. Made by an Australian jeweller highly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, the workmanship and skill of this pendant has been attributed to Australian jeweller, Rhoda Wager. With opal being her gemstone, this opal was specially selected by her for its natural beauty rather than for its value. Her incredible workmanship and skill can be seen in the open work frame of yellow gold with vines, leaves and tiny berries. Gold was rarely used by Wager and only reserved for her wealthier clientele who had the means to pay for gold and preferred the material over silver or copper.

Circa: 1925
Design Period: Arts and Crafts
Origin: Australian
Jeweller: Attributed to Rhoda Wager
Gemstone: Opal Doublet
Cut: Oval
Measurements: Opal = 27.00 x 19.00 mm
Material: 9ct Yellow Gold
Handmade Setting
Pendant is accompanied by an independant valuation

Rhoda Wager

Born in London in 1875 and migrating to Australia in 1916, Wager was hugely influenced by the arts and crafts movement which are very apparent in her designs. Setting up her workshop in Sydney, her exquisite designs were carried our by hand with incredible workmanship. Each design she made was a one of a kind piece which was individualised for her clients. Favouring mostly silver for her designs (like other designer of the movement) she only made pieces in gold for her wealthier clientele. Her designs were highly influenced by nature and included rings, bracelets, belt buckles and even spoons using gemstones that she carefully selected for beauty as opposed to value.

Her designs were mounted in open frames, allowing natural light to flow through the gemstone showing off its beauty. Wager focused on her workmanship. Instead of stamping out her designs from one thin piece of metal (which was common place, easier and more time effective practice) each design element in her work - every leaf, stem, flower or berry is separately made and then soldered on until the piece is all brought together as a whole. Her favourite stone was the Australian opal accompanied by her signature setting of vines and leaf motif intertwined with tiny berries and round flower heads.

Arts and Crafts Movements (1887 - 1905): 
The movement started in Britain and was led by designer William Morris, historian Thomas Carlyle and art critic John Ruskin. They criticised that the new, fast paced, industrial age, led by the machine which was allowing designers to lose their skills by neglecting past craft techniques. Their focus was to embrace traditional techniques and quality materials as opposed to cheap materials that were sought out for the masses. One of the greatest achievement the movement is not known for, is the fact that it was the first time, it allowed women to become designers in the art and design world. Areas of design influenced by this movement were in furniture and objects, textiles, architecture art, and jewellery. Jewellery took on a more simpler design and designers sought inspiration from nature. Jewellers sought the natural beauty of a gemstone instead of using it for its value. Materials that were used included silver and copper with gold rarely used, and only by master jewellers for their wealthier clients. Notable jewellers from this period include, British jewellers Georgie Gaskin and Arthur Gaskin, Sibyl Dunlop, American jeweller, Marie Zimmermann and Australian jeweller, Rhoda Wager.