There are those jewels that resemble works of art, and those that are literally deemed as such. The Iris pendant from jeweler Zoltan David is the latter (or rather, it’s both). His Iris pendant, featuring a 35.63 ct. marquise-cut cat’s eye moonstone centerpiece, has been awarded a permanent place as the star of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Moonstone collection. It will take its place in the Washington, D.C., institution in early 2018.

This isn’t the first honor for the sensational necklace (it won the 2016 AGTA Spectrum Award), though it is obviously notable: David is the only Texas jeweler in history to receive the honor. “I am delighted to have my work become a part of American culture,” said the jeweler in a press release. “This is a literal dream come true for me. What an honor to have my Iris necklace showcased with some of the finest jeweler houses in the world.”

Its beauty is evident, a clear justification for why the design is being honored, but its innovative craftsmanship demands to be noticed, too. With blue patinated bronze that hugs the center stone, it dazzles like an Easter egg (reminding me of the delicacies of a Fabergé creation, perhaps), and the necklace that it dangles from is no slouch, either. As a custom display is being crafted to hold the piece, I only hope it can somehow display the reverse of the pendant, too, as it’s engraved with the apt phrase: “By the light of a silvery moon, an ocean of life awaits your magical touch.”

Iris necklace in platinum and blue-patinated bronze with 35.63 ct. cat’s eye moonstone, 18.2 cts. t.w. round moonstones, and diamonds, $56,000 (estimated value)

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor