ABOUT:
A glowing seven stone band with chunky old mine cuts claw set in 18k gold. Gorgeous stacker, gracefully curving over the top of the finger. The center stone has the loveliest pale yellow color, accented somewhat by the yellow gold setting.
It has a nice height and is especially fun to view from the side with the high crowns popping out. The seven old mine cuts total around .85 carat all together. We often see this claw setting with five stones but here we have seven. Tall triangular scissor cuts in a single row for the crowns on some of the diamonds, so they are all nice and chunky antique cuts.
I got this one in France, it has their second hand hallmark for 18k gold, but I am not sure of its origin, looks very similar to the many British examples popular during the period.
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 6 1/2. It weighs 3.5 grams.
The largest center diamond is about 4, the next two are 2.7 and 3mm, then a pair at 3.5mm and then two at each end are about 2.5mm each (x4). For a total estimated carat weight of around 0.8 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 4.7mm wide north to the south on the finger and it stands 5mm tall off the finger. The seven diamonds span about 20mm east west across the finger.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
Please note the measurements as they are not huge diamonds and the zoomed photos I am required to present sometimes make it look larger. But a beautiful sparkly stacker. A worn prong here or there to keep an eye on over time as the piece is in original condition. I don't typically recommend daily wear for any of my 125+ year old pieces but reinforcement is always possible if desired. It is suitable as is for gentler wear though, with none of the stones moving and all being surrounded on all sides, despite some being worn back from what they originally were.
The center stone is eye clean with a lovely pale yellow color, amplified more in the sun, and the yellow gold setting also contributes to this. I love finding these hues in my antique stones, as many stones from the period actually came from mines that produced warmer colored rough diamonds. The others have fainter varying hues but overall well matching.
Some faint frosty inclusions here and there and one of the smallest stones on one end appears quite frosty throughout from some crystal inclusions.
A bit of lotion buildup in the recesses of the prongs. The backs of the stones are clean but could use a bit more of a gentle soak. I don't like over cleaning pieces with multiple stones in their antique settings so I just gave it a light brush.
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!
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