At RareQuiste, we often say: Don’t use modern material values to measure the artistic value of antiques.
Paste is the best example. It is essentially a Lead Glass with extremely high lead content. But please note, it is by no means the cheap rhinestone of modern times.
🕯️ Why did people in the 18th century love to use glass?
In the 1700s (Georgian era), diamond cutting technology was not yet mature (it was Old Mine Cut or Rose Cut then), and in this era before electricity was invented, nights relied entirely on candlelight.
Jewelers discovered that high-lead glass has an extremely high Refractive Index. Through specific formulas and hand-cutting, Paste could refract a fire more dazzling and softer than real diamonds of that time under dim candlelight.
Therefore, Paste was regarded as an independent gem material at that time, and Queen Marie Antoinette and many nobles took pride in it.
🔍 Identification Features: How to distinguish Paste from modern rhinestones?
1. Black Dot
This is the ID card of Georgian Paste. Craftsmen would paint a small black dot on the bottom of the glass to simulate the visual effect of the bottom facet (Culet) of real diamonds at that time. If you see a mysterious small black dot deep inside a stone that looks like a diamond, it is a superb old Paste.
2. Closed Back
Early Paste was almost all closed-back. Metal completely wrapped the back of the stone, and a layer of silver foil (Foil Backed) was padded inside to increase reflection.
Note: This also means that old Paste must absolutely not touch water! Water will seep into the closed back, making the silver foil turn black, and the stone will become a “dead fish eye”.
3. Hand Feel
Paste is glass after all, so it feels warmer than diamonds or crystals (not that cold). And due to low hardness, after a hundred years, you can usually see fine wear or scratches on the surface under a magnifying glass, which is the patina of time.
💎 Collection Value
A well-preserved Georgian Paste Rivière necklace without blackening (Foil Rot) can fetch thousands of pounds at auction. It is not just jewelry, but a slice of that “candlelight era”.
