ANTIQUE Oval Natural SAPPHIRE Rose Cut DIAMOND Halo Large Stud Earrings 18k Gold Silver Topped Blue

I am selling an assortment of vintage to antique jewelry which I have hunted for and gathered from around the world. Some examples seen in the last photo - thanks for stopping by!

ABOUT:

The ever popular sapphire and diamond halo motif, this time in earring form! These antique earrings were found on my recent trip to Italy. I've had several sapphire and diamond halo rings over the years as they are very popular in Europe, I have a French one currently listed that would be a lovely match to these. Here we have the similar design with a nice sized footprint on the ear.

Each earring holds an oval natural sapphire at center, surrounded by a scalloped halo of rose cut diamonds.

The face of these earrings are certainly antique, the ear posts and push backs appear later so perhaps they were converted from another piece although I don't see any welds or areas where pin parts or jump rings were removed. So I'm not really sure what stories these antique pieces could tell.

Crafted in 18k gold with the halo topped in silver as was customary for the period to set diamonds in a white metal. The ear post of each is stamped with the Italian mark of 750 in a cartouche, which is the numerical hallmark used in Europe for 18k gold.

This one comes to the buyer with my very fond memories of that day, as the gentleman I purchased it from in Florence spent a lot of time with me, showing me his secret trays in the back and letting me see pretty much everything he had in stock that day since I am a dealer.

Our buying appointment became quite long but when we finished, he asked if I had some moments to stay, after which he shared with me a wheel of French cheese, honey and breadsticks and a chilled glass of rose while we sat and talked about life.

When I take these inventory trips, I am most days speed walking around many miles a day (in 90 degree heat) trying to hit all my stops. I see beautiful landmarks as I pass by but I take no tours or rest. This was a nice reminder of how things in Europe can move at a slower pace sometimes and it was so enjoyable for me as well to slow down and have a nice visit. I thank him! (It was in the afternoon, full sun off a busy street so I can assure you it was very professional and appropriate : )

Antique box not included. Please note the measurements as I have small hands and it can be difficult to decipher scale from photos with the zoom pictures I am required to present.

MEASUREMENTS:
Each earring face is 15x13mm. The sapphires are each about 8.5x7.5mm, so facing up at over 2 carats each stone. The diamonds are about 2.2mm each with each earring holding 14 of them. Depths vary with the rose cuts having flat backs and being more "spready", facing up larger than their carat weight when compared to a diamond with a pavilion. Exact carat weight is unknown as I would not remove them but each earring faces up with a scale of .55 carat / 1.1 carat total weight in diamonds if you were to compare the millimeter size to a brilliant cut stone.
The pair weighs 4.2 grams.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

Linear silk / needle rutile inclusions create a chevron pattern within the sapphires. Under lit magnification they can catch the light and reflect out almost like a star sapphire but with just linear needles of glow instead of the starburst shape. One has a shimmering silvery area and has a bit more of a sea green hue under lit magnification. There is no detectible color difference while wearing them though. A few nicks and nibbles, scratches and surface wear. One stone has the inclusions carrying up to the surface leaving the tiniest bit of crazing lines, invisible to the eye and the stone is completely stable, just describing everything I see under magnification.

Typical rose cut diamonds with varying hues, nicks, rough edges, frosty spots and natural inclusions. Also some tiny chips to the girdle edges of several of them making them slightly out of round but this is not very apparent since they are small, they fill the bezels well overall and add a nice glint of sparkle. Antique rose cuts often tend to look this way (if they were perfectly round and polished we'd have questions about age and antiqueness : )

Push backs work well, sturdy and secure.

My apologies, in the video there is a bit of a cloudy outline around very outside edge of the sapphires - this was just a bit of grime.  I've cleaned them up better now but the sun is long gone.  Cover photo is them after the cleanup.

Please also 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 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 : )

All items hand picked by me, one at a time from all over the world. All listings individually written by me, and not AI, after studying each piece to discuss its beauties and its ; ) eccentricities (which I am picky to point out).

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