French Antique Art Deco .85 Carat Old Mine Cut DIAMOND Half Hoop Ring 18k White Gold Band Belle Epoque

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT ~

ABOUT:

Versatile French antique half hoop ring / diamond band in 18k white gold. The piece is set with nine old cut diamonds in slightly graduating sizes totaling around .8 to .9 carat in diamonds.

The diamonds are displayed in an elegant and timeless setting with tidy prongs that are in good shape making this beauty ready for regular wear. French hallmarks for 18k gold.

Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures. Feel free to also request more photos or video as I have many besides those allowed here.

SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:

Size 5 1/4. It looks like it was sized in the past so the shank could be made larger at the back without bending the ring face too much (check with your local jeweler though to determine their comfort level.) Weight is 3.8 grams. The ring face is 4mm north south, the diamonds span 22mm east west and it stands 3mm off the finger. The diamonds are 2.5 to 3.5mm each, tapering by just a tiny bit as they extend towards the shoulders. I would not remove them for exact measurements but just using my caliper, honesty : ) and online calculators and estimates by millimeter I am getting around .8 to .9 carat total weight in diamonds.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

The prongs are in excellent shape so this one is ready to be shown off. Typical antique diamonds with some natural inclusions including some frosty spots and silk lines. One carries up to the surface of one leaving a small indentation along a facet edge but this is seen only under strong magnification. Some slight hues also typical but really no major condition issues. A nicely smoothed over section of the back where it was sized and the hues are slightly more yellow to the gold there but this is not noticeable while wearing. A worn prong here or there which is typical but each stone has several long prongs in good shape holding each stone securely so the piece is actually quite sturdy considering age. Some of the diamonds are old mine with open culets seen under magnification and some are still old cut but with pointed culets seen again under magnification - not uncommon for goldsmiths of the period to use a mix of diamonds based on what was available to them.

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:
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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 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 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.”