Antique OMC 1.4 Carat VICTORIAN Old Mine Cut DIAMOND 12k Gold Four Stone Ring Chunky Band

ABOUT:

A nice and chunky stackable diamond band set with four old mine cut diamonds totaling around 1.4 carat.
At the moment I am especially drawn to stackable diamond bands and this is a lovely one. I try to acquire as many as I can because they are so versatile and wearable to layer or wear alone that they are quite sought after at the moment.

Found in England, this antique piece from the late 1800s / to very early 1900s is crafted in yellow gold. The old mine cut diamonds are all a nice size with wonderful variances in shape and also hue, giving the piece a very organic feel. The cushion cuts are oblong and asymmetrical. It is always fun for antique enthusiasts to see the individual eccentricities of these old hand cut diamonds, each one unique and one of a kind. One of the diamonds has an extra high crown that crops out of the ring face, one of the cushion cuts is set at an angle, one has a lighter hue while the others are a warmer to almost pale yellow, etc. The gold work also has an organic feel with one of the settings bowing out slightly more to accommodate the extra chunky stone and varying widths of gold between the stones inside the ring face - she's a quirky babe for sure!
Still a nice quality hand made antique piece.

With an elegant pronged setting, 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. It is also quite substantial and wears beautifully on its own. This one grabs the attention for sure!

Adding to its desirability are the gold 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.

No hallmarks remain, somewhere around 12k gold because it holds a 14k test but weakly (I don't have a test for 12k gold specifically).

SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:

It is a size 8 1/2. It weighs a sturdy 3.5grams.

The diamonds are 4 to 4.4mm each with varying depths, each measuring around .33 to .37 carats.
I would not remove them for an exact measurement but estimates to around 1.4 carats total weight in diamonds, my measurements aligning with the dealers I purchased it from.

The ring face is 7mm north south and 17mm east west on the finger from diamond to diamond and it stands 4.3mm tall off the finger to the crown of the highest diamond.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

All my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. No chips to any of the diamonds but some natural inclusions typical for old cut diamonds. Some linear needle and crystal and speck inclusions including one that looks like a small waning crescent moon. These can sometimes catch the light and become more eye visible but they are not glaring. There is one carbon speck but that is seen more under magnifications. Also Typical antique diamonds, three of the four have a slightly warm to almost pale yellow hue in some light. The three are well matching where the one that is slightly whiter in color shows a variation as seen in photos. The warm hues are eye visible especially as you can compare it with the slightly whiter one and the same piece. It's a lot of fun! 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. Still an unbelievable amount of sparkle on this fun stackable piece. 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 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 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!
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. : )

Thanks so much for looking at my items!

SOCIAL:
Please feel free watch @mouseshouseantiques on Instagram for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews! And check out my website www.MousesHouseAntiques.com

Expedited shipping with signature upon delivery will be at my cost.

Box#o.*2$