ABOUT:
Where are my green stone girls? A dramatic skinny navette with a 1.2 inch footprint on the finger. This French antique Belle Epoque piece is set with rose cut diamonds in its scalloped halo and in the little center details. They surround a center green stone. I love the openwork detail along with color and sparkle. The raised shoulders are knife edged and set with diamonds leading up to the ring face.
Found in France and at first I was confused when I saw the secondhand 14k mark because this design is just so textbook French, I really believe it is French made. But their standard is 18k so I tested it to make sure and sure enough, the majority of the piece tests at 18k, but the ring was sized in the past as these often are. You can see a faint gold seam and this must be where they tested it to get the 14k reading. The jeweler may have intentionally used 14k as a better match to the antique patina, since antique 18k and modern 18k look quite different. Just my guesses.
The other mystery to me is the stone. It is a stone, it's not like a plastic bead or anything. At first I thought maybe aged turquoise because they can darken quite a bit from contact with skin and perfumes over 100 years, but I don't see any variations in the stone. It doesn't have the translucence of chrysoprase, and though I am not very familiar with jade, it seems deeper in color. Probably something in a mineral semi precious family and not a precious gem. So I'm selling it as an antique green stone ring! Which is also how it was sold to me.
Love the ornate and dramatic skinny navette design with the sparkle of 34 little rose cut diamonds.
Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures. Antique box is not included.
MEASUREMENTS:
Size 5. The ring face is 31x7.5mm and stands 6mm off the finger to the dome of the green stone. It weighs 4.1 grams. The green stone is about 5x3.5mm and the diamonds are very small, 1 to 1.5mm.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
The green stone has a nice sheen and polish but is a darker stone giving it a satiny appearance, not dull or chipped or super abraided though. These are typical old rose cut diamonds, cut by hand so they have the beautifully irregular and sometimes imperfect antique look to them with some rough edges. They are small and just meant to add a glint of sparkle. There is build up behind the rose cuts which have an open back but a very small opening so I was not able to get the back clear with the very light cleaning I gave it. Evidence of a sizing to the back.
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. : )
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 : )
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 as I can add more pics there so you can get extra looks : )
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