DRAGON Heavy Antique 1 Carat Old European Cut Diamond Figural Ring 12.6g 18k Gold Solid Gargoyle Chimera Belle Epoque Art Nouveau Unisex OEC

ABOUT:

This is a personal collection release and wow does it feel fabulous on the hand. This one stands out to me as one of the most beautifully detailed rings I have ever seen or handled. But I only have ten fingers and this ring has a vibe so I thought I'd pass him along to hopefully the perfect caregiver.

Very popular in previews due to his unique presence and intricate designs. The texture in the relief contrasting with the shine of the raised areas - it's so pretty. I asked my Insta friends what manner of mythical beast this was. To me, it has always looked like a dragon with the winged ears or a gargoyle with the more button shaped nose. Chimeras are also a very popular motif for the French during this period. Some thought it looked like a lion, an eagle or snake, so I suppose it is in the eye of the beholder but the fabulous details of the wings weave all around the back of the shank.

Found in France and I believe it originated there too, as it is the type of craftsmanship we see in their pieces from the Belle Epoque Art Nouveau period. Perfect patina, and goodness... in all the fawning over the gold work I have failed to mention the diamond!

It's an Old European cut, just under one carat, held in the four teeth of the beast which serve as the prongs. And the diamond of course is also what drew me to it because it has that delicious pale yellow color so sought after in antique stones, having been cut from mines that produced warmer rough during this period. It appears a mouthwatering pale yellow in some light, and faces up brighter white in others. Please see my website for additional photos as the group shots and various lighting conditions can help with color comparison.

The motif certainly also held symbolisms in jewelry for the period. Fantastical beasts were considered symbols of wealth and power, strength and protection, and worn as talismans or amulets for good luck.

Very sturdy hand feel. He's a one of a kind head turner for sure. Unisex size, I wore him as a power pointer. No hallmarks that I could find but his quality in fabrication is obvious and as always tested to confirm.

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

MEASUREMENTS:
The ring is a size 8 1/4 on my mandrel.
A note about sizing: You'd want to check with your local jeweler who would be doing the work to determine their comfort level. The design weaves all the way around the back so the piece has never been sized. In an ideal world we'd keep it that way but rings are meant to be worn and most antique jewelry has been sized already at least once if not several times before, so that would be up to the owner to decide. It is possible that a spot with less detail could be chosen for the sizing location, which could then be smoothed over and/or blended into the pattern - but that would depend on the ability and opinion of the goldsmith doing the work, so please be sure to double check that before purchasing.

The diamond is about 6.4mm in diameter and about 0.95 carat.

The ring face is 14.4mm north south and 6.5mm off the finger.
The ring weight is a very sturdy 12.6 grams in rich and warm antique solid gold.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

I don't prefer to grade my antique diamonds with the Four C's grading scale which came about way later for machine cut diamonds with mathematically perfected facets. The scale does not do antique stones justice as they were expertly hand cut in a much more limited supply compared to the millions of carats of machine cut diamonds made each year now. Their uniqueness and quirks are expected and part of their charm, but I will pass along the grades as I received them. They graded the color as L/M and the clarity as VVS. To be honest, it appears to me more as an SI in clarity, as there is a slightly eye visible shadow inclusion that can catch the light, when looking through the stone to the right of the culet. (I do not remove my stones from their antique settings as my items do well without paperwork so this information is approximate, I always study each piece under magnification and describe everything I see.)

The setting is beyond fabulous, sturdy, heavy, patina, exceptional, extra in every way but the diamond shows some age. Of course the frosted girdle is expected and sought after as proof of authenticity and age, but there are some nicks and nibbles at 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock on the diamond where the frosted girdle is slightly out of round with a rough edge. At the 9 o'clock spot there are shallow flakes of loss, one on the top edge and one on the bottom edge which extended from the nibbles. Also at 1 o'clock under the top right tooth prong are additional flakes of loss. These aren't deep chips, but again like a thin flaking away of the surface of the stone leaving an unpolished spot. As seen in the pictures, to the eye and while wearing, the diamond appears complete and round in the open mouthed setting, so it is not glaring, but when you study that outside edge you can see a bit of unevenness and those with exceptional eyes, (unlike mine which are in their forties), may be able to detected the frosty small unpolished areas. To me it is not evident and just contributes towards its authenticity, but please utilize the zoom photos which will over emphasize at least 10 times what is seen to the eye while wearing to seek these things out.

Certainly one of a kind and certainly one of my best!

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:
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).

Many of my listings include group shots – I find the comparisons between pieces help show scale, diamond hues, etc. All items in group shots are inventory, but refer to the website to see what items have sold out and to watch for new listings from the grouping to appear on the home page.

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