14k Yellow Gold Cushion-Cut Citrine or Quartz Pendant

This item is a contemporary fine jewelry pendant featuring a large center gemstone set in a 14k yellow gold mounting. The gemstone is cushion-cut with a checkerboard faceted surface, which enhances light reflection and brilliance. It exhibits a pale yellow to champagne hue, consistent with high-clarity citrine or lemon quartz. The stone is held securely by four substantial gold prongs at each corner, merging into a modern basket setting. The pendant is topped with a tapered, high-polish bail that appears wide enough to accommodate various chain sizes. According to the context provided, the gold purity is 14k, a standard for durable fine jewelry. The craftsmanship shows clean lines and symmetrical faceting, suggesting modern machine-aided cutting and assembly. While no specific maker's mark is visible in the image, the overall style is consistent with late 20th to early 21st-century commercial fine jewelry. The condition appears to be excellent with no visible chips to the gemstone's facets or significant scratches on the gold bail, though minor surface wear consistent with light use may be present upon microscopic inspection.

Based on my examination of the provided imagery, this is a handsome contemporary pendant featuring a substantial cushion-cut gemstone, likely Citrine or Lemon Quartz, set in 14k yellow gold. The centerpiece is a large checkerboard-faceted stone boasting high clarity and a pleasing pale champagne hue. The modern four-prong basket setting and tapered bail are executed in 14k yellow gold, offering a sturdy and polished presentation typical of commercial fine jewelry from the late 20th to early 21st century. The condition appears excellent, with crisp facet junctions and no visible abrasions to the table of the stone. The primary value driver here is the gold weight of the mounting, as semi-precious quartz varieties like citrine are abundant and generally affordable. While the stone is attractive and well-cut, it does not command a high premium unless it is a rare locality specimen, which is unlikely here. Comparables in the secondary market for similar quartz pendants often trade near the intrinsic melt value of the gold plus a modest premium for the mounted gemstone and craftsmanship. Please note a significant limitation in this appraisal: without physical handling, I cannot perform refractive index testing to definitively distinguish between natural Citrine, heat-treated Amethyst, or Lemon Quartz. Furthermore, the specific gram weight of the gold is unknown, which is crucial for precise valuation. An in-person inspection would be required to weigh the scrap gold content and verify the stone's identity via a gemological refractometer. The value provided reflects a fair market retail range for a pre-owned piece of this aesthetic and likely material composition.