HAMMERED Chunky 1.3 Carat Old Mine Cut GYPSY Ring Eye Clean Wide Band French Antique Heavy 12g 18k Gold

ABOUT:

I will be wearing this one on heavy rotation until it sells. So many great elements from the heft to the 1.3 carat, chunky old mine cut diamond that is eye clean! Putting such a stone in such a sturdy setting is already pretty great, but making it even better is the setting of the piece.

The sturdy gold work was hand wrought with a hammered gold fabrication. It is a subtle design element but gives the piece such excellent texture especially when you study the chunky piece from the side, to see the hammered finish catch the light. It also helps mask surface wear compared to a high shine finish where the scratches can catch the light.

Many years ago before I ventured into jewelry, I actually sold Victorian sterling silver tableware and always loved finding a hammered finish. This is the first time I've seen the fabrication in a gold ring.

The weight is over 12 grams, crafted in buttery French antique 18k gold, hallmarked. It was crafted in yellow gold but now with some rosy hues due to age and patina - nothing like the vibrant pink rose gold of today, the piece reads as a warm yellow gold. Some varying hues to the back (it appears to have been sized at one time). The ring face is nice and thick, with just a circular opening behind the stone. The rest of the piece is solid gold, compared to some gypsies that have hollowed out ring faces to reduce the amount of gold used.

The gypsy ring was incredibly popular during the Victorian era into the early 1900s and its timeless design remains an ever favored and wearable choice for today. These rings were also favored by men and the hammered finish makes it a great unisex option.

This ring is substantial enough to wear alone but also layers well with other pieces. Nice and sturdy hand feel with a great sparkle.

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:

Ring is currently about a size 6 1/4. Weighs 12.4g so it is quite the golden nugget. Ring face is 9.6mm north south by 5.2mm tall of the finger.

The diamond is about 6.5mm and widens out an unknown amount in the bezel. Exact carat weight is not known as I would not remove it and cannot view the girdle, but it is a Chunky cut with an amazing depth to it. Estimated around 1.3 carat. A typical 6.5mm modern brilliant diamond is usually 1 carat so you can see how much that deep cut affects the size - back when stones were hand cut and the brilliant craftsmen were using methods to enhance the beauty of the stone (compared to modern machine cut diamonds where weight retention is emphasized instead).

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

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. Not to mention set in fabulous antique hand made gold work / settings. So I don’t often like to compare antique stones against modern grading standards - BUT This diamond, for an old stone has particularly exceptional clarity. Even under strong, lit magnification the stone is clean with no damage, chips, nicks, nibbles, frosty spots, etc. Pretty exceptional to find in a piece of this age.

A little wear and unevenness around the bezel from age.

There is evidence of a sizing to the back with two seams that differ slightly in patina. It is smoothed over nicely but you can see the varying hues to the gold at the back and the hammering is not evident there. The hammered finish extends about 2/3 of the way around with smoothing to the back.

Aside from the sizing patina, there are no dark or colored spots to the gold, it just reflects its surroundings in some of the photographs.

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 would be delighted if you'd follow me in my shop. Thanks for stopping by!

SOCIAL:
Please feel free watch @mouseshouseantiques on Instagram for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews! And check out my website www.MousesHouseAntiques.com

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.) 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 recommended: “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.”

Box#Dmq.!!3