A charming and finely made 9ct gold turtle charm, London hallmarked 1973, with a lattice-work gold shell and a natural tiger's eye bead at the centre. The lattice construction of the shell — fine gold wire worked into an open grid pattern — is a more technically demanding approach than a plain cast shell, and gives the piece a lightness and delicacy that belies its 3g weight. Tiger's eye, with its characteristic golden-brown chatoyancy — the silky, shifting lustre that gives the stone its name — was a popular stone in the jewellery of the 1970s, its warm, natural tones well suited to the decade's aesthetic. The turtle was a recurring charm motif of the period, associated with longevity and good fortune. London hallmarked 375 (9ct gold), 1973. 2.3 × 2cm.

The Details

• Dated: 1973
• Weight: 3g
• Dimensions: 2.3 × 2cm
• Hallmarks: 375 London 1973
• Shell: Lattice-work 9ct gold
• Centre: Natural tiger's eye bead