ABOUT:
Dazzling and also sweet - Victorian antique floral ring with scalloped edged "petals" each set with an old mine cut diamond surrounding a larger center OMC raised slightly in prongs. Such a cute figural piece but not cute in a dainty way, as there are around 1.7 carats of old mine cuts adorning the face. Definitely a cheerful and sparkly thing!
The ring face almost looks like a conversion but the 18CT for 18k gold hallmark inside the shank is also antique so it may have been converted in antiquity or this is just how it was always fabricated. Hard to tell the exact journeys on some of these 150 year old pieces. The ring face is topped in silver as was customary for the time to set the diamonds in a white metal.
Also nice to see the prongs in excellent condition making this striking beauty ready for regular wear!
Antique box not included. Please note the measurements as I have small hands and it can be difficult to decipher scale from photos.
SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:
The ring is a size 6 3/4. The piece weighs 3.7 grams.
Exact carat weight is unknown as I would not remove the stones but it was sold to me at around 1.7 carats total weight in diamonds. The largest center stone measures 5mm and is about half a carat alone, and the ones on the petals are about 3.5mm each give or take.
Stands m4.7m off the finger, the ring face is about 15mm in diameter.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
All my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. This one is ready for pretty regular wear with nice prongs holding the stones securely. Typical antique diamonds with some natural inclusions, most are eye clean. Two stones each have a slightly eye visible inclusion - one a crease towards the surface from an indented natural inclusion which is adjacent to a faint silk inclusion that appears like a shadow. The other one has a very very faint brown silk linear inclusion - that stone is also warmer in color than the others. Also typical for antique diamonds they do have a bit of warmth, but really only the aforementioned one is most noticeable. Compared to many antique diamonds, these are particularly fiery really projecting a nice amount of sparkle. I don't see any damage to any of the stones. You should be able to detect the hues in the photos and videos as they are true to life with some taken in direct sunshine which enhances that. I and many other antique jewelry collectors actually enjoy finding these unique characteristics in pieces from the period.
Shank is very sturdy. But Due to age - please note this is not a mint condition item.
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. 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 these stones to enhance them, 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.” Just an interesting comparison of antique vs. modern diamonds. : )
Thanks so much for looking at my items!
Expedited shipping with signature upon delivery will be at my cost.
Box#M.3@4
