Large FRENCH Antique 2.5 Carat + 21 Old Mine Cut DiAMOND Cluster RiNG 18k Gold

ABOUT:

Amazing (and quite large) glittering French antique cluster ring with a scalloped daisy face consisting of 3 tiers of glorious, sparkly, chunky old mine cut diamonds. With 21 diamonds in all and a ring face covering almost 3/4 of an inch north to south on the finger, it really packs a punch. The center diamond measures about .4 carat alone (and with the other 20 diamonds around 3mm give or take), we have upwards of 2 1/2 carats total weight in diamonds. It is stunning to wear.

It has a wonderful setting in 18k gold (French hallmark on the shank), and a nice height and presence on the finger with the gradual step up from one halo of diamonds to the next.

Antique box not included.

SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:

Size 9. Sizing questions are best asked to your local jeweler who would be doing the work. The piece weighs just under 6 grams.

The ring face is 18mm in diameter to give you an idea of scale and it stands 9.5mm off the finger.

Sold to me by a reputable dealer at around 2.5 carats. We took our caliper to the stones under magnification and we are getting 3 to 3.5mm each for the 20 outlining diamonds with depths from around 1.8 to 2.2mm each. Exact depth of each stone is unknown as I would not remove them from the setting. Just using conservative measurements plugged into online calculators we are getting upwards of 2.5 carats to 3 carats but without measuring each stone exactly, I am listing it as the more conservative end in that range.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:

All my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. Typical antique diamonds. For the outermost halo, one has a small chip to the table facet. Another has small shallow flakes of loss to one of the back side facets mostly hidden in the setting. One has an inclusion that carries up to the surface. These are barely visible to the eye if you study the surface of the diamond up close in a reflection to see the slightly irregular surface but to the eye, all the diamonds appear complete and full / round. Nothing jumps out while wearing the piece. One tiny nick to two stones in the center halo of diamonds not visible in the slightest to the eye. I don't see any damage to the center diamond, it is complete with a wonderful clarity and typical unpolished girdle edge (not visible to the eye) and common for hand cut diamonds of this age.

Nice bright color. Some frosty / icy or linear / needle inclusions here or there, again typical for diamonds of this age which were cut long before the "4's" concepts were ever conceived. No dark carbon specks, nothing visible to the eye. This is being super picky and describing to the best of my ability but in all honesty the ring is amazing and the only thing I can sometimes catch if I am really studying it is the one nick to the one smaller diamond because it is on the table. Just a slight bit of wear to a few of the prongs of the center from age but it is stable and secure. All the stones though are held firmly in place with no wobbles.

There is a crack to the back inside of the ring face at one shoulder and loss to a section of the gold underside at the other shoulder from years of rubbing against the finger. The ring face is perfectly stable and does not have a flimsy hand feel but something to look for in photos. This is not really visible while wearing but the one side with the loss can be felt when the gold edge makes contact with the finger. I've been wearing it and don't find it uncomfortable but something to consider if you have delicate hands. This is mostly felt when the ring is spun and I suppose also depends on how tightly it is worn on the finger.

This is certainly one of the best pieces I have been fortunate enough to offer. But Due to age - please note this is not a mint condition item.

Thanks so much for looking at my items!

SOCIAL:
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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 each stone to enhance it 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 they can be viewed 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: “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 the individual beauty or sparkle of an antique diamond. Antique diamonds are judged more on the individual character and uniqueness that each one potentially offers.”

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