I am selling an assortment of vintage to antique jewelry and rings which I have hunted for and gathered from around the world. Some examples seen in the last photo - thanks for stopping by!
ABOUT:
Striking color and sparkle to this French antique piece found on my recent sourcing trip to Paris. The halo of rose cut diamonds (see notes), 16 in all, surrounds a center true blue sapphire. I had a dealer friend in Paris once tell me that these are among the most popular ring styles in France where they prefer the more subtle sapphire color over more vibrant gemstones like rubies and emeralds or large diamonds. I have found in my years of selling that they are very sought after here as well!
I love the scalloped outline and the impactful size of the ring head on the finger. As a design accent, the sapphire bezel is in yellow gold to match the shank, while the diamond settings are topped in silver as was customary for the period to set diamonds in a white metal.
The sapphire is synthetic (not glass, so it has the same properties as a mined sapphire but is man made) looking at its perfect clarity and color as that was a popular choice for the period, often times even more popular than natural because the invention of the synthetic corundum was all the rage.
This is an antique piece that I acquired in France from the Belle Epoque period. No hallmarks remain which is common for French pieces as they are marked in the back and often lost during a sizing or from wear. But sold to me from a reputable source in France where the standard is 18k and tested to confirm.
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 piece has gold beads on the back inside of the shank. The purpose for these was for sizing, arthritic knuckles, or as was likely the case with this ring, to provide an anchor at the back to keep the large ring head from spinning. These can be easily removed if desired. I can't get an exact sizing with them but seems to fit around a size 6 1/4.
Weighs 4.2 grams. The sapphire is about 9.6x6.9mm and the ring face is 17x15mm.
The diamonds are each 2.2 to 2.3mm and there are 16 of them. Exact carat weight is not possible to determine while set and I'd never take the piece apart but faces up at about .7 carat diamond appearance comparatively. Actual carat weight is likely less since the diamonds have no pavilions, although some do have a thicker domed top.
CONDITION NOTES:
All my pieces are preowned and in estate condition. One stone is a later replacement brilliant cut and reflects the light a bit differently if you seek it out in photos. There is also one old mined single cut that I believe is original to the piece as jewelers of the time used what was available to them and it is an antique stone. Typical antique rose cuts. They have some inclusions, varying hues, a few nicks, frosty and irregular edges, some have always been that way as they were rough cut by hand. Some of the inclusions appear as a frosty streak or crease and carry up to the surface, again typical for the period, they emit a nice sparkle. The sapphire has some small abrasions to the table facet that is less noticeable with regular wear and seem to catch the light to become much more evident in direct sunlight. Still, I wanted to highlight to the color so just note that what is seen in those direct sun photos actually highlight it more than what is seen while wearing.
Beautiful color and sparkle.
Very sweet piece from a very special era. I enjoy making my customers happy and matching unique pieces with new homes. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions! It means a lot to me that you are visiting my shop! : )
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 : )
Box#qc.72^
