Victorian 2.25 Carats Antique Old Mine Cut Diamond Five Stone Ring 18k Gold Chunky Scrolled Ornate Band

ABOUT:
So I traveled to the land of amazing ornate five stones on my last sourcing trip (to the UK ; ) and was on the hunt for an impactful chunky antique old mine cut five stone. I saw tons of them but none fit the bill, either in size, price or the quality of the stones or durability of the setting. Most of the time it was the stones that held me back. I don't mind quirks and inclusions typical for diamonds from the period but I really wanted to find a good one for a more rare and exceptional offering. On the last day of my trip I finally found this one and am excited to offer it as it was by far the best of the many many I saw and I just love it.

This is one of the larger five stones I've been able to source at 2.25 total carats. An elegant original antique Victorian beauty with the beautifully detailed setting holding five chunky old mine cut diamonds.

This one also comes with a funny story / memory in that my mom and I were reviewing our inventory in the hotel room. The sun peeked out so I started doing a time lapse video where I started and stopped the video as my mom added rings one at a time (a little behind the scenes on the magic behind instagram - tee hee!). Anyway, we finished so I took the entire ringstack off and started organizing and the next thing I know, this ring, one of my biggest purchases of the entire trip... was gone! At first I was like what the heck. Then I'm like, I haven't moved more than 2 feet from this spot, it must be here somewhere. Then after 30 minutes went by I wondered if we would ever find it! Slight panic started to creep in knowing we had a flight out the next morning and we had already turned the place upside down, we moved the bed, completely unmade it, combed the carpet and checked the heating vents for the millionth time. Ultimately the little bugger had somehow crawled into a 6 inch opening in one edge of the duvet cover and then traveled to the inside corner of it only to be finally found when we actually took apart the duvet. So this will forever be known as the ring that grew legs, walked off and hid for 30 minutes - haha. My sweet mom... we had such a fun trip. : )

This ring totals around 2.25 carats but remains stackable and versatile to wear with flat north and south edges in that they are all pretty uniform in size - or as uniform as wonky, chunky monkey old mine cut diamonds cut by hand can be. It's quite similar to one in my personal collection that is always met with rave reviews on Instagram. Many have asked in the past if I might release it so here is your chance to twin with me : )

Ornate scrolled setting with diamond spacers / prongs (a few are missing) for added sparkle. I love viewing it from the side to see the lofty crowns of the antique hand cut diamonds popping out of the ring face.

Found in the UK, It is stamped with the old 18C hallmark for 18k gold.

The prongs were reinforced on the north south edges of each of the larger diamonds prior to me receiving it so this one is ready for regular wear.

Antique box is not included. Please note the measurements as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures. Feel free to check my website or request more photos or video as I have many besides those allowed here.

SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:

A snug Size 7. Weight is 5 grams. The ring face is 6.1mm north south and 5.2mm off the finger to the high crown of the center diamond..

The diamonds are each 4.3 to 4.7mm, slightly oblong and appearing pretty uniform to the eye while wearing. They measure .42 to .48 carat each.
I would not remove them for exact carat weight but I am getting around 2.25 carats total weight in diamonds.

My items do well without paperwork and the modern Four C's scales were invented long after this ring was made so I don't have any certificate or paperwork on the piece as I prefer not to remove stones from these antique settings. The four C's scales don't apply very well to one of a kind hand cut antique stones anyway but I wanted to pass along the information that was given to me.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
Nice to find such an old beauty in ready to wear condition.

Of the diamond spacers, 4 of the eight are present. The others are vacant but I decided to sell it as is because sometimes gluing in or repairing would cause those areas to stand out even more than just having the little settings vacant. The settings almost serve as an illusion setting so I don't find it glaring that some are missing but something to look for in photos, and of course having them replaced by your local jeweler is always an option, I just found it quite pretty as is.

Three of the five diamonds are eye clean. One stone second from the end has a pocket inclusion that appears as a frosty spot, the end stones each have a small smattering of microscopic carbon. This is being very picky and studying it under magnification when in reality they are only very slightly eye visible if really seeking them out. In terms of quality for chunk old mine cuts from the period they have a very good clarity. Also typical for antique stones they possess a slight warmth but some of this is from the chunky cuts and how the high crowns reflect the light, in addition to the way they reflect the all rich and buttery yellow gold setting. They are fun old cuts with slightly freeform shapes and some with an off center culet - clearly hand cut and one of a kind - I love!

The prongs are a bit blunt when you run your finger across them but this is how it was made and a result of wear and the reinforcements.

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).

Many of my listings include group shots – I find the comparisons between pieces help show scale, diamond hues, etc. All items in group shots are inventory, but refer to the website to see what items have sold out and to watch for new listings from the grouping to appear on the home page.

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My items do very well without paperwork so I have not sent the stones for certification but always provide as much detail as possible with measurements, condition notes and many extra photos (see website) to capture it true to life in various lighting conditions, which can be translated to grading scales if desired.

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. (Although it is also worth noting that many antique collectors prefer and seek out antique diamonds with warmer hues.)

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.”