Gaunt, a quandong seed pendant

Gaunt, a gold and quandong seed pendant/brooch, late 19th century, designed as a cross with grape vine leaf motifs, set with halved quandong seeds, length 5.8cm, signed Gaunt

Thomas Gaunt (1829-1890) was one of Melbourne's leading jewellers and watchmakers in the late 19th century. The present brooch is set with the seed of a quandong, an edible fruit in the sandalwood family that is native to Australia.

Cf.: Anne Schofield and Kevin Fahy, Australian Jewellery, Antique Collector's Club, 1991, p.255 for an illustration of a similar brooch set with quandong seeds attributed to Arthur Henry Young, c.1890