Mouse's House Antiques
SEVEN Stone Half Hoop Antique 1.75 Carat Old Mine Cut DIAMOND Chunky Band Ring 18k Gold Victoria
SEVEN Stone Half Hoop Antique 1.75 Carat Old Mine Cut DIAMOND Chunky Band Ring 18k Gold Victoria
ABOUT:
This is a personal collection release that I had been wearing daily. I wish I could keep them all but it was nice to enjoy it for a time!
I got this in England from a dealer friend of mine, these were very popular there during the Victorian era. My friend had the prongs fortified so they are in really good shape making this one ready for daily wear. Also nice to note that these diamonds are quite fiery and considering that antique diamonds were in much more limited supply than the millions of carats produced each year now, we see all different, all fun unique eccentricities in our antique stones. This one stands out the way it shoots rainbows out especially in direct light.
This Antique 18k gold ring with simple pronged setting holds seven old mine cut diamonds totaling around 1.75 carat total weight. This one is a true half hoop where the diamonds extend all the way across the top of the finger. Easy to stack with a wonderful patina of antique gold and the 7 old mine cut diamonds in graduating sizes.
Stamped 18CT for 18k gold with an old maker's mark stamped inside.
Antique box not included. Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures.
SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:
It is a size 5, almost a 5 1/4 but not quite. It weighs 3.5 grams.
The largest center diamond is about 4.7mm, the next two are 3.7 and 4mm, then a pair at 3.5mm and the two at the end are about 3.3mm. For a total estimated carat weight of around 1.75 carat. Depths vary with some chunkier cuts and I would never remove them from the antique setting for an exact carat weight, so this is an estimate.
The ring face is 5.8mm wide north to the south on the finger and it stands 3.2mm tall off the finger. The seven diamonds span about 21mm across the finger.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
All my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. The center stone has an indented natural inclusion leaving a small crease, with unpolished area just off the table. It is small and this is barely eye visible, the stone appears complete and whole in the setting. Another has a natural silk inclusion that carries up to the surface leaving a tiny hairline seam, the silk is slightly eye visible and the seam is not eye visible and seen only with strong magnification. The others have smaller inclusions, a squiggle or a fleck here or there, again very slightly eye visible. No dark carbon spots, no overall frostiness. Also typical they have a slight warmth but nothing glaring and are overall well matching. Some of this is due to how they reflect the light when the side diamonds splay outward as they curve atop the finger and do not face straight up. Prongs are excellent so this one can shine with regular wear. : )
Shank is sturdy. It wears beautifully! But Due to age - please note this is not a mint condition item.
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 : )
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 these stones to enhance them, 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 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.” Just an interesting comparison of antique vs. modern diamonds. : )
Thanks so much for looking at my items!
Shipping with signature upon delivery will be at my cost.
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