ABOUT:
One of my most popular styles - the wonderfully stackable five stone band. This is one of my larger ones when it comes to carat weight, it has a nice height off the finger and splays slightly to provide full coverage of diamonds across the top of the finger. Layers well with other pieces too! This is a fun one because it contains a mix of old cut diamonds, the largest center stone is Old European cut and the other four are old mine cuts. The chunkiest old mine cut adjacent to the center stone has a beautiful champagne color to give the piece a unique character. It is a lovely warmth, often sought after by antique collectors when it comes to old cut diamonds.
I acquired this piece in England. No hallmarks remain but it tests at 18k gold. The old mine cut diamonds are all quite a nice size with slightly graduating a step smaller on the outside stones. With the tall face, it stacks well next to bands so it would make a wonderful anniversary ring or even engagement ring to stack next to a wedding band. I have some pics of it stacked so feel free to request those. It is also quite substantial and wears beautifully on its own. This one grabs the attention for sure! I try to acquire as many of these diamond bands as I can because they are so versatile and wearable that they are quite sought after at the moment.
Adding to its desirability are the secure prongs which are in great shape holding each diamond securely. We often see worn prongs on pieces of this age but this one is ready for regular wear.
Antique box not included. Please note the measurements as I have small hands and it can be difficult to decipher scale from photos.
SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:
It is a size 7 1/4. It weighs 3.4 grams.
The largest center diamond is 5mm. The adjacent two are around 4.1mm give or take with higher crowns, especially to the extra chunky champagne old mine cut. The end stones are just slightly smaller, about 3.8mm each. I would not remove them for an exact measurement but it was sold to me from a reputable source as a little over 1.6 carats total weight in diamonds.
The ring face splays 20mm east west on the finger from diamond to diamond and it stands 5mm tall off the finger.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
All my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. Typical antique diamonds in that they have some natural inclusions but nothing glaring. Three are eye clean and the center diamond and the champagne old mine cut each have an icy needle inclusion down across the culet that can sometimes catch the light being slightly eye visible. The old European cut is bright white, the old mine cuts have a slight warmth with the one chunky cut noticeably warm to pale champagne in color. Some of the warmth is amplified by the diamonds splaying outward so they reflect the light differently than when they are being viewed from the top down. All the stones are secure and do not move with several long prongs on each so this one can shine with regular wear which is harder to find on pieces of this age. : )
Shank is sturdy. It wears beautifully and great to see the prongs in such good condition! But Due to age - please note this is not a mint condition item.
A note about antique diamonds:
The whole "4 C's" 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 strict graded scale like we have today.)
So it is difficult to judge antique stones against modern day diamonds with mathematically perfect proportions 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 these stones to enhance them, 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! Many antique diamonds with warmth to their color were often chosen intentionally by diamond cutters of the time and are even sought after by collectors.
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 their individual beauty or sparkle which are based more on their individual character and uniqueness that each one potentially offers.” An interesting comparison of antique vs. modern diamonds. : )
Thanks so much for looking at my items!
SOCIAL:
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