ABOUT:
I have been wearing this one in heavy rotation. So many great elements from the heft to the 1.5 carat total weight in chunky old mine cut diamonds, alternating with the blue of the marquise sapphires. The piece has a great geometry with the alternating chunky sparkle and color.
Smaller in size, it is a nice weight and a sturdy setting. The ring face has some height to it for perfect stackablility and is nice and thick, with just openings behind each stone. The rest of the piece is solid gold, compared to some gypsies that have hollowed out ring faces to reduce the amount of gold used. Certainly one of my more unique gypsy rings.
The gypsy ring was incredibly popular during the Victorian era into the early 1900s and its timeless design remains an ever favored and wearable choice for today.
This ring is substantial enough to wear alone but also layers well with other pieces. Would be a beautiful stacker ring (I've been wearing it with a diamond band) or the perfect chunky pinky ring. Love the color and sparkle.
Found in Spain. No hallmarks remain but sold to me from a reputable source as 18k gold and tested to confirm. 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:
Ring is currently about a size 4, a little over but does not cross 4 1/4. Recommend checking with your local jeweler about sizing since everyone's skills and opinions are different. Sometimes you can text or email pics for feedback. There is a tiny seam inside the back so it may have been sized, but it is blended perfectly on the outside with no difference in patina.
Weighs 8g so it is quite the golden nugget. Ring face is 8mm north south by 3.6mm tall of the finger.
The center diamond is about 6.3mm and around .8 carat alone. The smaller two are 4 to 4.2mm and about .35 carat each for a total of around 1.5 carat weight in diamonds. Exact carat weight is not known as I would not remove remove them. It is fun to view the high crowns cropping out of the ring face. A typical 6.5mm modern brilliant diamond is usually 1 carat to give you an idea of scale.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
There are two shallow flakes of loss to the outside surface of the center stone, pressed right up to the bezel. At least one of these if not both is the result of an indented natural inclusion that was polished around. There are no gaps between the stone edge and the bezel, it appears complete and fully fills the space, it's just slightly eye visible when you study the surface of the edge facet in a reflection of light. Aside from that the rest of the stone is eye clean. It has a slight warmth typical and often sought after for antique diamonds. For the smaller diamonds, one has a slightly eye visible carbon speck and the other a squiggly linear inclusion above the culet, which can catch the light and be seen when looking through the stone.
None of the stones move, it is a sturdy setting. A little wear and some tiny pitting under magnification to the vertical edge of the ring face, not really evident when wearing. There are no dark or green colored spots to the gold, it just reflects its surroundings in some of the photographs including the trees outside.
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 : )
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SOCIAL:
Please feel free watch @mouseshouseantiques on Instagram for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews! And check out my website www.MousesHouseAntiques.com
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 for machine cut stones.) 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 each stone to enhance it which means that even lower color grades can be cut to appear whiter. (Although it is also worth noting that many antique collectors prefer and seek out antique diamonds with warmer hues.)
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 recommended: “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.”
Box#Mst.^$2
