Vintage Italian 18K Gold Blue Spinel Filigree Pendant, 70 MC Macerata
Picked up this mid-century Italian pendant in solid 18K yellow gold, set with a large pale icy-blue rectangular step-cut spinel measuring about 11 × 9 mm. The pendant is approximately 17.5 × 14 mm, or about 25 mm long including the bail, and weighs 3.23 g.
It’s stamped 750 for 18K gold and also bears the Italian identification mark 70 MC. The MC code corresponds to Macerata in the Marche region of Italy, while 70 identifies the registered goldsmith/workshop. The mark appears without the later five-pointed star, which is consistent with the older Italian hallmark format used before 1968 and supports a likely 1950s–1960s date. I’m currently waiting on additional information from Italy regarding the specific maker registered as 70 MC.
The stone has tested electronically as spinel, though I haven’t had it lab tested to determine whether it is natural or synthetic. It shifts from a pale icy blue to a softer gray-blue depending on the light.