ABOUT:
Magnificence!
Impactful and imposing French antique oval ring - this is one of my largest to date with 29 old cut diamonds totaling around 3 1/2 carats total weight in diamonds. Difficult to part with! Amazing glitter factor with a large footprint the finger. All the diamonds in the cluster are old mine cuts. Raised details at each shoulder are set with a rose cut for an additional glint. A timeless classic and a real show stopper with exceptional sparkle factor.
She's a special one.
French hallmark for 18k. The knife edge shank and gallery have a warm, rosy gold patina and a lovely sheen to glow beneath the prongs which are a contrasting white precious metal, I believe platinum. It was customary during this period to set diamonds in a white metal.
Antique box in photos 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 also request more photos or video as I have many besides those allowed here or look for it on my website.
SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:
Size 7 1/2 on my mandrel.
Weight is 6.9 grams.
The ring face is 30x12mm and 6mm off the finger. (1.2 Inches north south!)
The largest center diamond is 4.7mm, over.4 carat alone. The larger stones flaking the center measure 4mm and 3.7mm. Of the remaining diamonds - half the stones are 3 to 3.5mm each and the other half in the 2 to 2.5mm range. I would not remove them for exact measurements and each stones' exact depth is unknown in the setting, but it totals around 3.5 carats in diamonds.
IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
Three of the outlining diamonds have shallow flakes of loss to one edge, leaving an unpolished area. The center diamond also has this, one area on each side but an even thinner flake of loss, where the shape of the stone is not affected but there is a texture on the surface. They still all appear as complete to the eye and fill the space so it isn't a case where the stone is cracked with loss, rather a small flake from the surface. This is not glaringly eye visible unless you are studying the surface of the stone in a reflection to pick up that texture difference.
Typical antique diamonds with some warm hues, they also reflect the light differently with their chunky cuts and open culets, and the outside halo of stones faces out slightly compared to the to the row of center stones which face up. One of the outlining diamonds has a slightly yellow hue under lit magnification, but again just reads as warm to the eye. The rose cuts at each shoulder are closed back, set into the shank so they have some warmth as well.
It has a beautiful cobblestone texture. Also typical to see a natural feather or needle inclusion here or there, very slightly to slightly eye visible if the icy or frosty speck catches the light. But if I'm being honest, not very visible to my eyes which are in their 40s : ). No glaring dark carbon spots.
The prongs are in good shape, each stone is set sturdily and does not budge. There is a worn prong here or there, but enough length remains on the other outside prongs to hold each stone securely. Nevertheless, I always do recommend gentler wear for pieces with a lot of stones in original antique condition. The ring is quite a site to behold.
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 : )
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
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 for machine cut stones.) It is difficult to judge antique stones against modern day diamonds with their grading system evaluating their mathematically perfected proportions using methods and standards that didn’t exist for hand cut old cut diamonds. No two old cuts are the same as they were crafted in times lacking those 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. It is also interesting that "lower graded" diamonds in today's scale system, were some of the best on the market during this period. I read one article that states: “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.”
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