DRAGON French Antique .5 Carat Old Mine European Cut DIAMOND RiNG 18k Gold Platinum Victorian

ABOUT:

This wonderful Victorian French antique ring has a lot of fun details and a striking graphic. The open work face depicts a dragon across the front. Above and below are old cut diamonds set at an angle in platinum for a lovely sparkle and color contrast. There are ten diamonds in all, with some of them being old mine cut and others old European cut (not uncommon to find a mix of cuts on antique pieces as there was overlap and jewelers used what they had available to them).

The dragon was a popular motif for the late 1800s to early 1900s period. These fantastical beasts were considered symbols of wealth and power, and worn as talismans for protection or amulets for good luck.

Further to the design, the vertical edge of the ring face, just along the undersides is beautifully engraved for another very pretty element. Comfortable to wear with the ring face being domed with a rich buttery glow.

Antique box not included. Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures.

HALLMARKS:
French hallmarks for 18k and platinum.

MEASUREMENTS:
The ring is around a size 5 1/2, or seems to wear that way. I couldn't get an exact measurement because it has a flexible gold bracket inside the shank. The purpose of these can be for sizing, or arthritic fingers, but also as may be the case with this ring, to provide weight and a hold at the base of the finger since the piece is slightly top heavy, so it doesn't spin sideways while wearing.

The ring face is 19x14mm and a 4.3mm off the finger.
The ring weight is 5.1g.

The diamonds are 3-3.5mm, 2.5mm and 1.5mm as they graduate down.in size from the center to the edges. I would not remove them for exact weight but probably around half a carat total weight just using estimates?

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

Typical antique diamonds with a few frosty hues only under magnification. No dark inclusions, no chips or cracks. A worn prong here or there to keep an eye on over time but the majority are in really good shape with lots of length.

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. : ) There are no dark spots to the gold, it was just difficult to photograph because it is so shiny and mirrored that it reflects its surroundings including the green trees out the window.
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:
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