ABOUT:
Antique daisy cluster rings are always among my most sought after pieces but this one is quite special - the center antique old mine cut natural diamond is fancy light brown in color, adding a beautiful accent against the surrounding halo of old mine cuts which are white. It's a lovely contrast with the wonderfully eye clean champagne to cognac center stone giving the cluster a "warm heart." The piece totals about 1.15 carat total weight in diamonds with the brown old cut measuring about .7 carat alone. It's so clever the way it was fabricated as the brown OMC being surrounded by the white OMCs makes its natural light brown hue even more prevalent than if it were alone or if all the stones matched.
Antique piece found in the UK. No hallmarks remain but tests at 14k gold, although it weakens a bit over time so it may be 12k. With the settings of the diamonds topped in a white precious metal as was customary for the period to set diamonds in a white metal. I do not scratch test for that small area because it's on the face and I don't want to risk rubbing a stone or leaving a rub mark but it is typical fabrication for the period. The ring face top oddly tested as 18k on my kee tester but that is not always definitive, regardless it is a white precious metal.
These antique rings are scarce and sought after for a few reasons - the first is that all antique hand cut diamonds of course have a more limited supply since they are no longer made in this way. There are only so many in existence compared to the millions of carats of modern, machine cut diamonds made every year. These have withstood the test of time.
The second is the color - it is believed that only 1 carat in every 10,000 carats mined are fancy colored diamonds. So putting the old hand cut together with the color makes a brown OMC even more scarce.
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 7 1/4. The ring face is 12mm in diameter and 7mm tall of the finger at the center raised brown diamond. The center diamond is about 5.4mm and a chunkier cut, measuring about .7 carat alone. The eight white old mine cut diamonds in the halo are 2 to 2.2mm each. I would never remove them from the setting so exact measurements are unknown but it was sold to me as 1.15 carat total weight in diamonds which aligns with my estimations as well.
The piece weighs 3.1 grams.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
The center diamond is exceptional. Diamond clarity does not add as much value in fancy-colored diamonds because a diamond’s color is the most sought after feature. It is also worth noting it can be more common to find inclusions in colored stones due to how they were formed in the earth, the chemical structure of the stone causing the coloring can also cause said inclusions. So it is even more uncommon to find an old cut, fancy in color and still eye clean. It has a few needle and speck inclusions seen under magnification but a wonderful stone.
One of the outside halo diamonds is a brilliant cut replacement but it does not stand out. You really have to study it to detect that it has the additional facets, because the outside stones are smaller in size.
The gallery or base of the ring face below the diamond settings is a little untidy. There is a forked bar of gold on each of the four sides, two for each ring shoulder where they connect the from the shoulder to the ring face. Two of these are open work (with vacant space between) and two appear solid where there is gold connecting them. They all appear a little uneven with one of the four showing some solder marks. This is not super noticeable while wearing because the scalloped daisy face covers over it, but you can see it when you turn your hand and study the setting from the side.
The outside diamonds are typical antique stones with some faint, frosty inclusions, a few carrying up to the surface leaving a small indented natural but again, this is only under strong magnification. The frosty spots are a bit eye visible but some of this is also build up behind the small settings in the hard to reach places. All the stones are secure with no movement.
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:
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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).
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