ABOUT:
Such an interesting design! Gorgeous Edwardian antique toi et moi ring with accents! The two bright white and very fiery Old European Cut diamonds are stacked vertically with a gorgeous row of nine old mine single cut diamonds running east to west to give the band additional sparkle. It measures almost one carat total / about 0.9tdw with all the diamonds. The 4.5mm diamonds are eye clean (!) and set in 6mm pronged settings which, when crafted in bright platinum such as this, give the diamonds the illusion of appearing even larger. Uncommon design as well makes this a unique one.
The tradition of giving toi et moi rings to represent the love between two people dates back centuries, but the style was brought to the attention of a wider audience when Napoleon Bonaparte proposed to Joséphine de Beauharnais with one. Other famous rings include the toi et moi given to Jacqueline Onassis by John F Kennedy in 1953, but the popularity of this two-part style of ring was at its peak during the Edwardian and Belle Époque periods. It remains quite popular and oh so romantic today.
French hallmarks for platinum. Making the piece even more desirable is its readiness for regular wear, which can be hard to find on pieces of this age in original condition. The prongs holding the two diamonds are nice and long holding each stone steady on all sides.
I love antique diamonds, even those with inclusions or hues typical for the time, because some of those were still among the best available in the market during that period, and were expertly cut by hand to enhance their best characteristics. So I don’t often like to compare antique stones against modern grading standards - BUT these diamond, for old stones have particularly lovely fire reflecting a noticeable flash with the other colors of the rainbow. It was actually quite noticeable, especially while trying to photograph it. It also has a bright white color combined with being eye clean - so even though the stones were made long before the 4 C's existed, it sparkles really beautifully. I'm amazed by it now as I wear it in low light how glittery and bright it still is.
I have a pair of earrings and a pendant this would look great with as well. Antique box not included. Please note the measurements as I have small hands and it can be difficult to decipher scale from photos.
MEASUREMENTS:
The two diamonds are about 4.5mm each and measure .37 carat each. For the nine stones across the center, they measure 1 to 2mm each. I would not remove them from the antique setting for an exact measurement but estimated 0.9 carat / 0.9Ctw.
A generous Size 5 1/4 - it almost reaches 5 1/2 but doesn't quite hit the line, the ring face is 15mm north to south, 4.5mm tall off the finger. It weighs 4.4grams.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
Very nice clarity for antique stones, they are eye clean with no nicks or chips. Very faint inclusions only under strong magnification and even then, very hard to detect anything beyond the tiniest speck - no long needle, feather or carbon spot inclusions whatsoever. They are also bright white in color with a wonderful fire. I'm quite picky on my condition reports but nothing really to report so she's a special one - Love it!
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:
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