ABOUT:
Agh, this one almost went into the keep pile - my mom and I have a special spot for opals : ) but I'm not at a keep inventory stage so I decided to offer this beauty to my wonderful customers. Beautifully sparkling antique cluster ring with an iridescent blue green opal surrounded by a halo of 12 old rose cut diamonds. The opal also has flecks of pinkish orange and yellow so it has a nice play of color. The ring is crafted in 18k buttery gold with the basket setting topped in silver as was customary at the time to set the diamonds in a white metal. The base has an openwork lattice detail. Would be a beautiful stacker ring, it has the loveliest color and sparkle.
Found in England, no hallmarks remain but sold to me as 18k and tested to confirm.
Antique box is not included. Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures.
SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:
Size 5 1/2, a little over. The ring face is 14x12mm and 6.5mm tall off the finger. The opal is about 7.5x5.7mm. The diamonds are each around 2.5mm give or take.
Exact carat weight is unknown as I would never remove the stones from the antique setting. They are not all perfectly round and the depth of each is varied although they all seem to have a nice dome compared to some rose cuts from the period that are sliced super thin.
Like most rose cuts these have a lower comparative carat weight than a modern stone, but the surface area gives it the appearance of a larger carat stone. If these were brilliant cuts with pavilions below the stones, it would be about 3/4 carat total weight in diamonds so that gives you an idea of how it "faces up" size wise, with the carat weight being lower since they are rose cuts.
The piece weighs 3.2 grams.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
The opal has a nice sheen. The color play can be a bit light and fainter in ambient light, but when facing a light source and especially in brighter or direct light, it really lights up. I tried to show it in all lighting conditions in the listing so while some of the photos highlight the blues and greens, please note that it doesn't always present this way. It is a lovely stone, but some of the old opals read super blue all the time and this one tends to change based on lighting conditions. No damage to the opal.
The outside diamonds are typical antique stones with some faint, frosty inclusions, irregular cuts and frosty edges. Some of them appear a bit frosty overall. Some of this is build up so I will give it another gentle cleaning before sending. The frosty spots and inclusions are a bit eye visible but they have a nice antique sparkle. As expected for age, there is some wear to the setting for the diamonds in the halo so we don't typically recommend any piece of this age with multiple smaller stones for daily wear, but it is ready for gentler wear.
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 : )
SOCIAL:
Please feel free watch @mouseshouseantiques on Instagram for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews! And check out my website www.MousesHouseAntiques.com as I can add more pics there so you can get extra looks : )
All items hand picked by me, one at a time from all over the world. All listings individually written by me, and not AI, after studying each piece to discuss its beauties and its ; ) eccentricities (which I am picky to point out).
Box#stc.@52
