HEXAGON Chunky 1 Carat Old Mine Cut GYPSY Ring Faceted Wide Band French Antique Heavy 10g 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 carat old mine cut diamond with excellent clarity and large octagonal open culet. Putting such a stone in such a sturdy setting is already pretty great, but making it even better is the fun geometry to the piece. The ring face is a softened hexagon with beveled shoulders leading up to the star that is the diamond. Just such an interesting piece. I got this in Paris.

Sturdy piece in buttery French antique 18k gold, hallmarked, with some rosy hues to the back (it appears to have been sized at one time).

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 5 1/2. Weighs 9.9g so it is quite the golden nugget. Ring face is 10mm north south by 6mm tall of the finger.

The diamond is about 6.8mm, slightly oval and widens out an unknown amount in the bezel. Exact carat weight is not known as I would not remove it but I purchased it from a reputable source who estimated it at 1 carat.

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. It has a slight warmth to it typical for the period, often chosen intentionally by diamond cutters of the time and even sought after by collectors, but it seems this one was expertly hand cut to face up brighter (see notes below) so even though the stone was made long before the 4 C's existed, it is quite lovely in terms of clarity especially. I'm amazed by it now as I wear it in low light how beautiful this antique diamond is. No nicks or chips or frosty spots or flakes of loss. Just the tiniest scuff to two edge facets seen only under very strong magnification and even then, that is being super picky, especially considering age of this stone.

Surface wear, nicks and scratches to the gold that can catch the light due to the original mirrored finish. Could likely be buffed up but most of my buyers prefer original antique condition. Under magnification it looks like it has been sized in the past but nothing glaring while wearing.

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 : )

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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 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.”

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