ABOUT:
Special one! Another chunky stacker with a nice sized eye clean (!) old mine cut diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller antique diamonds with a total weight of 1.25 carat. Love this one! A French antique piece, it weighs 12.2 grams and the ring face is about 12mm north south. Thick and sturdy gold work tapering slightly towards the back. This one is substantial! And unisex in its design and size.
The inlaid diamonds form a cushioned oval shape on the ring face and is encrusted with the chunky old mine cut diamonds. It is fun to view from the side to see the lofty crowns cropping out, especially of the largest center stone which measures over 3/4 carat alone.
Old mine cut clusters are always among my most popular pieces but this one is really an uncommon setting with the wider, sturdier setting holding the halo cluster at center. Timeless design still so on trend for today.
Found in Paris. No hallmarks remain which is actually common for French pieces as they are marked in the back and often lost during a sizing or from wear. But sold to me from a reputable source in France where the standard is 18k and tested to confirm.
It has a wonderful patina and glow with a slightly rosy hue from age giving patina to the gold. The shank is thick and solid, with just the openings behind the stones to allow the light to pass through.
Antique box, props, mice ; ) not included. Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures.
SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:
Size 6 on a mandrel to the center of the wide band.
It weighs a sturdy 12.2g. The ring face is 12 mm north south and stands 4.6mm tall off the finger to the high crown of the chunky center diamond.
The cluster is about 10x9mm.
The largest center diamond is about 5.7x5.5mm cushion cut with that wonderful lofty crown cropping out of the ring face and is over 3/4 carat (0.77). The other 12 in the halo are about 2mm each and also chunky cuts. Depth of stones varies but some are a really chunky cut with deep pavilions and high crowns. I do not remove stones from their antique settings for exact measurements but estimates to around 1.25 carat total weight in antique diamonds.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
All my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition.
I don't typically prefer to compare antique hand cut diamonds against the grading scales that were created much later for modern machine cut diamonds, but I always study each stone under magnification for a detailed report. These were cut in much more limited supply compared to the millions of carats produced each year now. It's a special center stone, eye clean with only the tiniest fewest specks seen only under very strong magnification. It possesses the most beautiful warm to light pale yellow color - sought after my antique collectors like myself as they were cut during a period where rough stones came from mines that produced warmer diamonds. To the smaller stones - Some natural inclusions here and there. No dark carbon or large silk inclusions, rather just a small frosty speck here or there. One of the smaller diamonds has a natural inclusion at the surface of one facet, it is polished but a little uneven, again seen only under magnification. The outside stones display varying hues, some appearing slightly gray. Some of this is also due to their varying cuts, where they reflect the light differently due to a higher crown or a larger culet from one hand cut stone to another. Fabulous texture. Evidence of a sizing to the back.
The prongs look good, none of the stones move. But I pretty much always recommend gentler wear on all my antique pieces especially with multiple smaller stones.
There are no dark or colored spots to the gold, it was just difficult to photograph because it is so shiny and mirrored that it reflects its surroundings, including the camera and the trees out the window. The surface wear also is magnified in some of the pictures more than with normal wear, as they can catch the light due to the sleek mirrored finish of the piece.
Fun piece to wear as it is so large, eye catching and sparkly! But Due to age - please note this is not a mint condition item.
Please note that all my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. They will have patina, surface wear, a few small nicks. These pieces may also have evidence of a sizing, some build up around the stones and / or inclusions seen under magnification, typical for antique pieces. I have mentioned any noticeable issues above and they are all still wearable and eager to be loved and accepted for many years to come, (the preservation of antique jewelry, even those with signs of their age and history, is important to me. : )
But - Please note due to age, this piece is not in mint condition. Pictures also serve as part of the description and condition report so please utilize the zoom feature which will magnify any wear significantly more than what is visible to the eye while wearing : )
SOCIAL:
Please feel free watch @mouseshouseantiques on Instagram for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews! And check out my website www.MousesHouseAntiques.com as I can add more pics there so you can get extra looks : )
All items hand picked by me, one at a time from all over the world. All listings individually written by me, and not AI, after studying each piece to discuss its beauties and its ; ) eccentricities (which I am picky to point out).
A note about antique diamonds:
The "4 C's" system of cut, color, clarity, carat didn't come about until the 1940s so prior to that and especially on antique pieces, there was not as much emphasis placed on those things. (Sure people probably appreciated a certain look of a certain diamond as it appeared to the eye but it was not a graded scale like we have today.)
So it is difficult to judge antique stones against modern day diamonds and their grading system. No two old cuts are the same as they were crafted in times lacking any modern standards. The diamond cutters of the time were experts at hand cutting each stone to enhance it which means that even lower color grades can be cut to appear whiter.
It is also interesting that "lower graded" diamonds in today's scale system, were some of the best on the market during this period! So it is less about their grades and more about the unique play of light and color that each one can offer.
I read one article that put it: “When searching for the perfect old cut diamond (for you), you need to view them through different eyes as you would for a modern diamond. Laboratory grading reports don’t offer too much information in regards to the individual beauty or sparkle of an antique diamond. Antique diamonds are judged more on the individual character and uniqueness that each one potentially offers.”
Box #dmq.4%2
