Starburst Necklace

Sir John Herschel made a voyage to South Africa to catalogue the stars, nebulae, and other objects of the southern skies. This was to be a completion as well as extension of the survey of the northern heavens undertaken initially by his father William Herschel . He arrived in Cape Town on 15 January 1834 and set up a private 21 ft (6.4 m) telescope at Feldhausen at Claremont, Cape Town. There is an obelisk at The Grove School marking the spot where this telescope stood. It was, he later recalled, probably the happiest time in his life.

Our inspiration around a piece of jewellery for all the Herschelians celebrating this centenary milestone was derived from the work Sir John did in mapping the southern skies. We settled on the notion of the Southern Cross or CRUX being one of the most key navigation tools for brave and intrepid explorers over the centuries; and the mystique and symbolism ‘following the stars’ has always held. We have designed a collection of single charm pendants, or chains with pendants with star symbols either in plain relief or studded with white diamonds. They are made in sterling silver, 18k gold-plated sterling silver, or solid 9/18k gold with or without diamonds. They will be available to view in our Cavendish store in Cape Town.