ABOUT:
Magnificence!
Impactful and imposing French antique navette ring - this is one of my largest to date with 23 old mine cuts Plus one more at each shoulder Plus eight more serving as diamond spacers to the gemset prongs for complete and total diamond encrustation. : )
So we have 33 diamonds in all totaling over 5.5 carats total weight in diamonds. And when I say imposing, it has quite the finger coverage. The north south span is 34mm - so about 1 1/3 inch of wonderful, chunky antique sparkle.
Sturdy hand feel and quality fabrication crafted in 18k yellow gold and topped in platinum as was customary for the time to set diamonds in a white metal. This original French antique piece has linear details to the yellow gold below the ring face which curves to adorn the finger more comfortably. The diamonds, (especially considering they are old mine cuts produced in much more limited supply compared to the millions of machine cut modern stones each year,) are bright and well matching, shooting a better than most rainbow fire even in ambient light. Raised details at each shoulder are set with a smaller old mine cut for an additional glint.
A timeless classic and a real show stopper with exceptional sparkle factor. I love to find antique pieces with diamond spacers because it really adds to the texture of the ring face and contributes to the entirety of the sparkle.
Found in Paris with French hallmark for 18k and platinum, it is worn but I can still make out part of it under magnification as I have seen it so many times.
Antique box in photos is not included. Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures. Feel free to visit my website for many more photos as I have many more than allowed here.
SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:
Size 5 1/2, slightly snug. Weight is a sturdy 8.7 grams. The ring face is 34x13mm and 6mm off the finger.
The center diamond is the largest at about .7 carat alone.
On the ring face, the smallest stones, one on each tip are about 3mm.
The other 16 diamonds in the halo are 3.2 to 3.7mm each.
The diamond at each end of the center line are also 3.7mm with the two diamonds flanking the center at about 4.5mm each.
The pair in the ring shoulders are about 2.5mm
The eight spacers are small, 1.5 to 1.7mm each.
I would not remove them for exact measurements and depths vary but estimates to over 5 1/2 carats total weight in diamonds.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
Considering there are so many of them the diamonds read better than most for antiques. I love all antique diamonds but we expect to find them with quirks. Many of these are eye clean with just a small natural inclusion here or there, one to the largest diamond that is slightly eye visible, the others even harder to pick out. No dark or glaring carbon spots. The diamonds bright and well matching with a slight and very typical warmth seen under lit magnification but facing up brighter. Displaying a better than most rainbow fire.
The spacers are a mix of cuts from old mine single cuts, to the smaller rose cuts at each end. There is one brilliant cut replacement stone which is difficult to spot with the eye since the spacers are very small. The center stone can occasionally "click" slightly when you tap it as it shifts slightly but it is secure. There are some worn prongs here and there, several around the outside edge, the one prong of many of the stones around the outline, but the piece appears to have been reinforced where necessarily, thankfully quite tidily and not overworked so attention and care was taken to stabilize it without trying to make it "like new" and muddying the ring face. So the ones with that one worn outside prong are still stable and set with the other prongs on each side. It is only with magnification where you can see a tiny added bead of platinum here or there to ensure the piece is stable.
A tiny nibble here or there to a girdle edge but again in better than most condition for the stones, with no chips or cracks, frosty flakes of loss that we often see, nor any inclusions that carry up to the surface. Just being very picky and describing everything I see under magnification to the best of my ability. The ring is quite a site to behold.
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 : )
I enjoy making my customers happy and matching unique pieces with new homes. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions! It means a lot to me that you are visiting my shop! : )
SOCIAL:
Please feel free watch @mouseshouseantiques on Instagram for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews! And check out my website www.MousesHouseAntiques.com
Box#Tmct.!5@
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.) 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. (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.”
