Damaskos Byzantine 18K Gold Pendant with Emerald & Ruby – Black Platinum

This pendant is built around a contrast that defines the Damaskos approach: a black platinum-coated surface worked in the martillé technique set against the warmth of 18K gold. The design draws directly from Byzantine art — layered, deliberate, and structured around the interplay of texture and natural stone.

The martillé finish is applied by hand, creating a fine hammered surface that diffuses light rather than reflecting it — producing the characteristic velvety depth visible in Byzantine goldwork. Twisted rope wire borders the setting, and granulation — the technique of fusing tiny gold spheres to a surface without solder, practiced in Greek jewelry since antiquity — frames the stones. The pendant weighs 9.40 grams in 18K gold. The central stones are a natural emerald and a natural ruby, each measuring 2.70mm, with the ruby weighing 0.12 ct and the emerald 0.10 ct, individually selected for clarity and color consistency.

Damaskos is an Athens-based atelier that has worked within the Byzantine and Archaic goldsmithing tradition for decades, producing each piece by hand using techniques documented in ancient Greek workshops. This pendant is designed for daily wear — compact in scale, secure in construction — and substantial enough in craft and material to pass between generations without losing its integrity. Also available in full 18K gold without the black platinum finish.