Antique 3/4 Carat Old European Cut DIAMOND Ring 18k Gold Platinum Unique Bezel Prong Setting Engagement Solitaire Stacker .75Ctw OEC

I'm back from my inventory trips to Europe with Many "new" antique finds that I will be rolling out through the new year. Please feel free to follow here or on Instagram for updates!

ABOUT:
Here is a unique setting! This 18k gold and platinum antique ring is a combination bezel set and prong set ring!

The old European cut diamond measures about .75 carat and has a small platinum rim around it giving it the appearance of a bezel set ring. The tiny rim surrounds the girdle of the stone and is then held in prongs in a classic basket setting. A unique fabrication!

The shoulders reach up to the top edge of the stone, sort of nesting the diamond in the setting. The piece is two tone in color, crafted in 18k yellow gold but with the shoulder straps topped in platinum, along with the prongs and bezel. This is the customary fabrication for the period to set diamonds in a white metal. Early 1900s era piece.

Antique boxes, props, mice ; ) not included. Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures.

HALLMARKS:
Stamped 18Ct Plat for 18k gold and platinum with an old serial number and maker's mark.

MEASUREMENTS:
Size 7 3/4
It weighs 3 grams.

Exact measurements of the stone and thereby carat weight is unknown but measuring as it is set:
The center stone is 6.3x6mm and about .75 carat. Not sure deep, so it is on the spreadier side, facing up a bit larger than its carat weight, closer to .9 carat as it appears on the hand. Again exact carat weight is not known without removing it and putting it on a scale which I would not do.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
I don't prefer to grade my antique diamonds with the Four C's grading scale which came about later for machine cut diamonds with mathematically perfected facets. Their uniqueness and quirks are expected and part of their charm, and my diamond reports (as below) are more detailed for each individual stone than a letter grade would be and can be translated as such if preferred.

This stone has a lovely bright color and sparkle but it is included. It has the expected quirks of the majority of antique stones from the period. It has a crystal formation and four frosty crystal pocket inclusions that are eye visible, the latter being around the outside rim in the four places, pushed up against the bezel. There is also a carbon spot near the crystal formation. The stone does not read salt and pepper or frosty overall, but it is not eye clean so this is not the ring for those who want their antique diamonds crystal clear.

The prongs and bezel have a bit of wear so the stone moves the slightest bit in the setting, although it does not click or rattle. Gentler wear recommended, or four of the prongs could be reinforced for daily wear.

The piece is priced accordingly with these things in mind, as it is listed for quite a bit less than some of my other antique solitaires have sold for. The stone is bright and sparkly and does not read warm. The shank and setting are sturdy.

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 glaring issues above and they are all still wearable.
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

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 graded scale like we have today for machine cut stones.) It is difficult to judge antique stones against modern day diamonds with their grading system evaluating their mathematically perfected proportions using methods and standards that didn’t exist for hand cut old cut diamonds. No two old cuts are the same as they were crafted in times lacking those 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. (Although it is also worth noting that many antique collectors prefer and seek out antique diamonds with warmer hues.)

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 nicely: “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.”
Just an interesting comparison of antique vs. modern diamonds. : ). Often there are variations of diamonds in the same piece as the goldsmiths created pieces with the stones they had available to them.

Box#st.!2^