ABOUT:
This wonderful Victorian French antique ring has a lot of fun details and a striking graphic. The open work face depicts two dragons facing towards the center Old European Cut diamond. Their open mouths and heads face forward to the lucky wearer but the intricate details continue out towards the shoulders where the wings extend into the shank.
The dragon a popular motif for the late 1800s to early 1900s period. These fantastical beasts were considered symbols of wealth and power, and worn as talismans for protection or amulets for good luck.
Fabulous French 18k antique gold work with a rich buttery glow. Hallmarked on the back of the shank. Large size ring but appears to have been sized in the back. Very sturdy hand feel.
Antique box not included. Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures.
MEASUREMENTS:
The ring is a size 10 1/2 on my mandrel. I couldn't get an exact measurement because the piece was sized and the shank is somewhat oval.
The ring face is 14mm north south and 5.5mm off the finger.
The ring weight is a very sturdy 10.3 grams.
The diamond is about 4.3mm. I would not remove them for exact weight but probably around 0.3 carat weight just using estimates?
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
Typical antique diamond with some natural inclusions including some small carbon speckles under the table. Nice bright white color. The shank is oval from a sizing with unevenness to the back. Under magnification there are some tiny cracks to the gold. There is a crease at the top between the dragon heads and again at the bottom, and some smaller cracks inside the edges of the shank. I think when it was bent during a sizing. The piece is super heavy and stable so even if the creases were to grow, this very heavy nugget of gold won't fall apart or lose its shape but something to look for in the pics as you can see signs of its age. Some lotion and soap build up in the highly detailed recesses,
I gave it a gentle cleaning but my apologies for missing what I can see now in the pics. : )
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. : ) There are no dark spots to the gold, it was just difficult to photograph because it is so shiny and mirrored that it reflects its surroundings including the green trees out the window.
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 : )
Thanks so much for looking at my items!
SOCIAL:
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