Bezoar stone with silver mount - Goa, India - 18th century

Silver-mounted bezoar, North India (probably Goa), 18th century. Rare natural-shaped bezoar stone, mounted in a silver setting, likely made in North India, possibly in the Goa region, during the 18th century. The stone has an irregular, granular surface and a dark brown hue, characteristic of ancient bezoars, objects highly prized for their supposed protective and medicinal properties. The simple and functional silver setting follows the organic shape of the stone and is fitted with a suspension ring, indicating that the object could be worn as a talisman, pendant, or protective charm. This type of mounting was common in the Indo-Portuguese world and in trade between India and Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, where bezoars were considered precious objects, sometimes used in cabinets of curiosities or as amulets against poisons.