Antique 6.5 CARAT Old Mine Cut DIAMOND Hinged Bangle Line Bracelet 18k Gold Silver Top

ABOUT:

It is my exciting goal to have a diamond bracelet in my personal collection some day - just so fun to wear out and about with the most amazing sparkle of the 6.5 carats of old cut stones! This gorgeous antique hinged bangle bracelet has the top half arrayed with 17 chunky old cut diamonds, propped up in square bezels and slightly splayed.

All diamonds are deliciously wonky and chunky old mine cuts, clearly hand chiseled with off center cutlets and lofty crowns that crop out of the face of the bracelet.

And this one is one of the best I've had in terms of condition, with no real ripples or deep dings and a very sturdy and firm hinge with a nice and tighty, clicky clasp with safety chain. The four bead prongs holding each stone are also very good for age so again, rarer to find an antique piece in such a stable and ready to wear state.

Found in Paris with the French hallmarks for 18k gold. The gold has a lovely rosy hue, sought after for the gorgeous color that can't be found on new gold. The face of the bracelet is topped in a white precious metal as was customary for the period to set diamonds in a white metal. Looking at the patina, I believe it is silver, but I don't scratch test the faces of pieces or around the stones for fear of damage.

The diamonds taper in size becoming larger towards the top / center of the bracelet. The diamonds being the star of the show, settle in nicely amidst the silver, making this one wearable even in a silver, platinum, white gold or gold wrist stack where the diamonds can add the attention grabbing glitter effect. It can be dressed up or down in a wriststack.

Any props or additional items not included. Please note the measurements as I have small hands and it can be difficult to decipher scale from photos.

MEASUREMENTS:

Substantial enough to wear alone as well, measuring 6.5mm north south at the widest area and stands 6mm tall off the wrist, give or take depending on the height of the diamond crowns.

It's difficult to measure the exact inside circumference but it is around 6 3/4 inches, measured a few ways. I have a 5 1/2 inch wrist and it is too large for me although I could probably get away with it in a stack. It is not so large that it slips off my hand, I have to open it to get it off and on, but it is too large for me in that it spins around freely on my wrist so the diamonds can be spun to the underside. It would fit better on a larger wrist than mine where it is tight enough to keep the diamonds facing up so when I slide it up to the 6 3/4 area of my arm, it seems to be a better fit. The inside measurements measuring the cross sections (to compare with your bracelets at home or to draw it out for scale) are 57mm by 51mm oval. The safety chain is a little over 2 inches long to expand it when open.

It weighs 22.85 grams.

The old mine cuts are hand cut so they vary in length, width and depth, some being slightly more cushioned or rectangular and others more round, but really overall well matching. They start at 3.3mm (and around .17 carat each) tapering up to 5mm (and around half carat each). The largest center stone is 5.8mm and around .7 carat, with another at .68 carat and a few others over half carat as well.
I would never remove the diamonds from the antique piece for an exact measurement, but I measured each stone under magnification coming to a total of over 6.5 carats total weight in antique diamonds.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

The push button clasp works perfectly and snaps very securely into place. The hinge is as sturdy as can be found and there is the additional safety chain as well although the clasp is very sturdy. So condition and sturdiness is about as good as I've ever been able to find. Perfect age appropriate original patina in my opinion which most of us antique enthusiasts prefer but could always be polished up to the desired level.

Typical antique hand cut diamonds with some slightly warm hues here and there but overall well matching and the awesome chunky sparkle that these antique diamonds display as they reflect the light differently. None appear dingy or lifeless. The slight warmth due to the majority of the rough diamonds at that time coming from mines that produced warmer-colored diamonds, which I and many collectors love to find. These were cut long before the "Four C's" scale was invented for modern machine cut diamonds with their mathematically perfected facets. The modern grading scale for diamonds doesn't typical do justice to the uniqueness of these stones that were hand cut with methods and standards no longer practiced. But I will pass along the info given to me of H in color, VS to SI in clarity.

Seven of the diamonds are eye clean. The rest have some natural inclusions typical for antique stones, most slightly eye visible, and just a few with eye visible light frosty inclusions. No large dark or glaring carbon spots, I only see one stone with small carbon spot under magnification. Three stones have an indented natural inclusion where an inclusion occurs at the surface resulting in a crevice of small pocket leaving a slightly unpolished area. Slightly eye visible but these three are smaller stones so this is not visible to my eyes which are in my forties : )
Two linear scratches on the vertical edge of one side of the bracelet amidst other surface wear to the gold and silver, not seen when the bracelet is facing up.  No major damage and still perfectly formed. None of the diamonds are chipped or cracked with loss - they all fill the bezels and have retained their original shape.

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 : )

Additional cost for insurance, expedited shipping and signature upon delivery will be covered by me.

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