Fantastic French Antique 5 Carat Scale 18k Gold Dutch Rose Cut DIAMOND Daisy Cluster

ABOUT:

One of my most special preciouses - This one is quite the bauble with seven disco balls appearing as a five carat mega cluster (but please read measurement notes below). This large and attention grabbing French antique ring is set with dutch rose cut diamonds, crafted in 18k gold with the ring face topped in silver as was customary for the period to set diamonds in a white metal.

The center 7.7mm rose cut is raised in silver prongs while the outlining diamonds are set in silver bezels. The rose cuts vary in form and size giving the ring face an organic feel with some in the halo slightly larger than others, some oval and some more pear in shape. The setting is open backed and has always been so, which makes it more scarce as these are often set in closed, foil backed settings. All the diamonds and especially the center stone have a nicely domed top, compared to many rose cuts from the period that can be sliced quite thin.

These diamonds, for antique stones have particularly lovely bright white color and excellent fire reflecting the colors of the rainbow. It was actually noticeable while trying to photograph it, how fiery and beautiful the stones are, even though this was made long before the 4 C's existed, it sparkles exceptionally and reflects the light beautifully. Note that in the video, the diamonds may seem to have a bit of warmth from the warm early morning sun, but in real life they are quite bright / white.

Super eye catching and very sparkly - a fun piece to wear! Certainly one of my all time best. I just love the untamed chunky appearance of old rose cut diamonds and these are some of the best I have had in terms of quality, even though I personally do not mind variations to my antique diamonds.
: )

Antique box in photos is not included but I will include one from my personal collection. Please note the measurements as I have small hands and it can be difficult to decipher scale from photos.

HALLMARKS:
French hallmark for 18k gold.

MEASUREMENTS:
Currently measures a size 8 3/4, a little under.
Weight is 5.2 Grams.
The center diamond is 7.7mm by 6.6mm. The outlining diamonds are oval to pear in form measuring 5.3mm, 6.7mm, 5.8mm, 5.6mm, 6mm and 5.5mm. Exact depth of each is varied and I would never remove the diamonds from the settings for an exact measurement.
Like most rose cuts they are quite "spready" with flat backs and have a lower carat weight than a modern diamond with a pavilion, but the surface area gives it the appearance of a larger carat stone. These do have a nice dome to them. If compared to a modern diamond cluster by millimeter, this ring has the appearance of a five carat diamond cluster. To give you an idea of scale against the above measurements, a 1 carat modern round brilliant diamond measures 6.5mm.

The ring face is 17x16mm and it stands a tall 8.7mm off the finger.

CONDITION NOTES:

All my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. These are typical old rose cut diamonds in irregular shapes and sizes with some small natural inclusions. The center diamond has an inclusion that sometimes appears as a shadow but can catch the light and is eye visible, you can see it in some of the photos and video. For the outlining diamonds, one is eye clean, one has a shield shaped indented natural inclusion that is polished over but leaving an interruption to the polished surface. The other stones have a small crystal or light brown carbon silk or speck inclusion here or there that are slightly to very slightly eye visible. None of the stones are heavily included or frosty in appearance, it is typically in just one area of each stone. They have an incredible sparkle, bright color, nice fire and wonderful antique look. The center diamond has a slightly thick unpolished girdle that has some slightly uneven areas, some nibbles but also may have always been that way since it was hand cut. Two of the smaller stones also have a rough edge likely a result of the nearby inclusions. No chips to any of the up facing facets and no cracks, all the stones are stable and appear complete to the eye in their settings. The prongs of the center stone are in great condition with a little wear to the silver bezels to keep an eye on over time. Some patina to the silver and the adjacent gold. One side of the shank has a matte / unpolished finish - I think from when it was taken in for gold testing as it is a secondhand piece. Very Fun piece to wear with a great sparkle.

But please note this is not a mint condition item. 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 : ). The sun highlights the sparkle but also magnifies inclusions so that is also something to consider

Will be sent with additional insurance, expedited delivery and signature confirmation upon delivery at my cost.

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 insta for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews!

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.) So it is difficult to judge antique stones against modern day diamonds and their grading system with their mathematically perfected, machine cut facets. 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.

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 put it nicely: “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.”