ABOUT:
Why can't I be a millionaire one woman small business owner and still keep all the best stuff!? Sorrows sorrows, but this personal collection release found in Paris is looking for a new home. She is special and I have enjoyed wearing her for awhile (if you follow me on Instagram I'm sure you've seen her before!) but it's now time for her to spread her wings (watery eyes, developing to a tear, turning to an all out sob!)
Definitely one of my best solitaires. This beauty is just so fun to wear. It measures 2.31 carats with the old mine cut diamond an extra clear and extra chunky cut (it has a giant pavilion proportionately), with the stone suspended in tall prongs to catch the light for sparkle. This also typically makes the stone appear larger by bringing it closer to the beholder. The beautiful old cut diamond has an Amazing clarity, it is eye clean. Just a fabulous antique hand cut diamond. This French antique piece is from the Edwardian to Art Deco period, crafted in and hallmarked for platinum. I love the organic feel of the cut, slightly freeform in its cushioned form - one of those wonderful quirks that only these one of a kind antique hand cuts can offer. It's why we love them! : )
A simple and elegant shank propping the chunky cut diamond allows the stone to be the star of the show and it is worthy of the attention for sure. The setting makes me think of the tricks of professional fisherman, who hold the fish closer to the camera to make it appear at its largest. The way this stone pops off the hand, it is just so amazing to wear. It stacks well with bands, some examples seen in photos. It would stack beautifully with a diamond band, and either color because it also shines mixing metals (which is how I always wore it).
(See my website for additional photos). Please note the measurements! This one is deeper / chunkier than it is "spreadier" if that makes sense.
I love antique diamonds, even those with inclusions and hues and eccentricities 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 "the Four C's" modern grading standards that were created for mathematically perfected machine cut stones produced by the millions of carats each year - but in this case, the antique stone was sent off to Laboratoire Français Gemmologie Paris so I do have its exact specs which I will pass along: 2.31 carat, a beautiful K in color, VS2 in clarity.
This diamond, for an old stone has that lovely slightly warm yellow color that we antique collectors often seek out, considering diamonds from the period were hand cut in much more limited supply from mines that produced warmer rough stones. Combining that with its exceptional clarity, it is a very fine antique stone. The color seems to change from room to room, facing up brighter at times. Just another joy to be found in hand cut stones.
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 4 1/2. It appears to have already been sized once, like most antiques, with both the platinum stamp and the goldsmith hallmark preserved on either side of the sizing, so that would be something to discuss with your local jeweler doing the work.
The diamond measures about 7.5mm cushion cut, slightly out of round as we expect to see in these old, expertly hand cut stones. It has a nice chunky depth. It stands about 7.9mm tall off the finger.
The piece weighs 4.2 grams.
CONDITION NOTES:
Not a chip on it. Just the teensiest tiniest nibbles next to one single prong seen only under very strong magnification. Eye clean and more, as even under strong magnification there is nothing jumping out. Evidence of a sizing as mentioned.
Note the certificate is just the paper envelope that was used to hold the stone with the specs printed out and affixed to the cover - not a fancy laminated dossier ; ) The shank has some surface wear as the piece is in original condition, but most of us antique nerds don't typically like the machine buffing - personal preference though! : ).
I just noticed - The stone moves slightly in the setting because of its out of round shape and placement of the prongs (this is exactly why I don't like removing stones from their settings, but that was done in this case for the certification before I purchased it). For this reason, I reduced the price by $1k to allow for this. I never noticed this at all while wearing, but a jeweler could tighten and possibly minimally reinforce if absolutely necessary for daily wear? As the prongs have a bit of age appropriate wear (another proof that it is an actual all original antique!) They are good wide prongs and still have length on all sides, however they are not "like new" and are a bit worn back. I considered taking it to my jeweler but I opted to reduce the price instead because if it were me, I would wear it as is and not want to overwork the piece by reinforcing it too much. In this way, I thought I would leave it to the buyer to either take the savings and wear it as is, or apply that towards reinforcement (you'd want to find someone with a laser welder). I hope this all makes sense! Just some things I have learned as an antique jewelry seller and collector, that not everyone wants the same things when it comes to working on antiques.
Love this one!
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 : )
I enjoy making my customers happy and matching unique pieces with new homes. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions! It means a lot to me that you are visiting my shop! : )
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 : )
A note 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.) It is difficult to judge antique stones against modern day diamonds with their grading system evaluating their mathematically perfected proportions using methods and standards that didn’t exist for hand cut old cut diamonds. No two old cuts are the same as they were crafted in times lacking those 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 that 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 put it: “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 the beauty or sparkle of an antique diamond, which is based on the individual character and uniqueness that each hand cut stone potentially offers.
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