ANTIQUE Fancy Canary Yellow 2.9 Carat Old Mine Cut Diamond Colorless OMC Halo 3.65Ctw Cluster Ring Edwardian Platinum

ABOUT:

Why can't I keep all the colored diamonds in the world!? : )
This one so badly wanted to be in my personal collection - tee hee.  It's the first I've been able to source an original antique piece with a fancy yellow old cut of this size, and also this color.

This one was always a ring, crafted in platinum, with the center old mine cut diamond a bright and sunny canary fancy yellow 2.9 carat stone.  It's pretty glorious in color, with a wonderful rainbow fire and extra chunky cut, its lofty crown emerging from the yellow gold prongs inside bezel.  I love how its culet is slightly off center - so much character!

The rest of the piece is crafted in platinum, with fifteen smaller old cut diamonds set around it to provide a wonderful contrast and make that center stone sing.  It really accentuates the vibrant color even more, to have the white contrasting it.

I purchased this one in France during my last inventory trip.  It is stamped with an old "Plat" stamp inside for platinum and also bears the French platinum symbol hallmark.

These are scarce and sought after for a few reasons - the first is that all antique diamonds of course have a more limited supply since they are no longer made in this way.  There are only so many in existence compared to the millions of carats of modern, machine cut diamonds made every year.  These have withstood the test of time. 

The second is the color - it is believed that only 1 carat in every 10,000 carats mined are fancy diamonds.  So putting the old cut together with the fabulous color makes this old mine cut diamond ring even more scarce.

Another special thing about this stone is that despite the saturation of canary yellow color, it is still a fiery stone that emits a beautiful rainbow sparkle.

Vintage box IS included as I wanted this one to have pretty housing so I am including one from my collection.  (It is the brown one with clean cream interior and "Scarborough" inside the lid that is included with the ring.)

Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and the pictures can make it difficult to see scale. 

SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:

Almost a size 5 1/2 but doesn't quite cross the line.
I do not remove my stones from their antique settings for exact measurements as my items do very well without paperwork (especially for antique pieces created long before the Four C's was invented.)  The center old chunky cushion cut old mine cut diamond is about 9.2x9mm in diameter, quite the crown on it / chunky cut and estimates to around 2.9 carat alone.  The fifteen stones in the halo are about 2.2 to 2.4mm each give or take.  Total estimated carat weight of the entire ring is about 3.65 carats.  Again this is an estimate measuring them while set.

The piece weighs 4.6 grams.  The halo is 14mm in diameter.  It stands 7.3mm off the finger to the high crown of the center stone.  

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

With fancy color diamonds, color is the dominant value factor. Diamond clarity does not add as much value in fancy-colored diamonds because a diamond’s color is the most sought after feature.  It is also worth noting it can be more common to find inclusions in colored stones due to how they were formed in the earth, the chemical structure of the stone causing the coloring can also lead to said inclusions.  The center stone has two linear feather inclusions.  One is right along one edge and appears like a needle from the side, but widens when viewing it face down.  The other feather extends into the table of the stone.  These appear like cloudy lines in those two areas and they can catch the light so they are eye visible, although the rich hue to the stone does help mask them compared to how they would appear in a white/colorless stone.  No dark carbon and no other inclusions to be found.

The six sets of double prongs to the center stone do show some wear from age.  The stone is still well surrounded but this is something you would want to keep an eye on over time, or consider minimal reinforcement for 24/7 wear.

The fancy yellow diamond is in excellent condition with no chips, just a bit of unevenness to the girdle typical for antique stones, not visible in the least to the eye.

The white diamonds in the halo are typical for the period, with some natural frosty inclusions. Nothing glaring, no dark carbon spots, nothing noticeable except slightly varying hues common for a collection of smaller antique stones.  One of the outlining colorless diamonds has a small chip with little flakes of loss leaving a small unpolished area.  This is not really noticeable to the eye as the stone is still complete and round and fills the entire space.  Some wear to the platinum prongs as well but no movement of any stones but again this is something to keep an eye on over time. 

There is a tiny crease at the shoulders of the ring where the bottom of the forked ring shoulders meet the underside of the ring face, it's a sort of seam with solder within it as the connection point.  We know it was always a ring because the underside of the ring face is curved to sit against the finger so I believe this is just the fabrication of the piece.  It is stable and there are no breaks to the piece.

My items do very well without paperwork so I do not remove them from antique settings to send for certification but always provide as much detail as possible with measurements, condition notes and many extra photos (see website for more) to capture it true to life in various lighting conditions, which can be translated to grading scales if desired.

What a wonderful color to the fancy stone! My biggest and most yellow antique diamond find to date!

Please note that I take some photos / videos in the sunshine because it captures the lovely color and sparkle, but it also highlights any surface wear, scratches, abrasions, buildup or inclusions that can catch the light, making these things appear worse than they would with normal day to day wear. : ) Hopefully the pics in all lightning conditions help as they serve as part of the description.  

Please also 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 : )

Box#tcmst.!62