Antique ring. Platinum and 18k white gold setting with emerald and diamonds. Made circa 1920 in France.
GIA certificate for emerald.
Measurements:
Weight is 7.8 grams. Ring size US 5.5 (French 51). Approximate dimentions of emerald: 11.67 x 9.81 x 6.19 mm.
(approximately 4.8ct.). GIA certificate states that emerald is natural and of Russian origin.
Description :
simple white gold shank forks at the shoulders to support the bezel, made in platinum. Rings of openwork platinum grills form the mount. The bottom-most ring is composed of a circle of hearts. Above that, another openwork layer of pairs of scrolls - each mirroring it's partner. The openwork platinum gives strength to the mount and it allows as much light as possible to strike the gems from below, adding to lustre and shine.
Laid above the platinum mount is a ring of wonderful, gleaming diamonds. They are set at an angle, sloping down towards the finger, giving the ring a ballet-dress or ballooning skirt appearance. In the center, raised in forked platinum prongs is a large rectangular emerald with canted corners.
A traditional design, with French flair as shown in the quality of the gems and the subtle angles. Quality is indicated in the care and time taken to make the openwork mount, which is not visible when the ring is worn.
This kind of attention to lavish detail is what makes French jewelry superior to anything else.
Marks and Metal:
Shank is hallmarked with French dog head and eagle marks for platinum and 18k gold respectively. The placement and angle of the marks indicates platinum dominant over gold. (dog on left and both facing right). The maker's mark lozenze contains a cojoined JP on the left corner. The rest of the maker's mark is not clear.
Condition:
Good with minor wear commensurate with age. Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.
THE STORY:
Antique jewelry almost always has a mysterious and intrigueing past. Who owned it and who owned it before them for generations? Even more shrouded in the mists of mystery is the origin of the parts. We know for sure that this ring was made in France. Why did the maker use part white gold and part platinum? Was this for structural reasons or aesthetic? Was it because of what was available to him?
Emeralds by nature have inclusions and are almost always oiled to some extent. This was checked and described by the GIA.
Russian emeralds are primarily mined in the Ural Mountains, a region historically known for producing high-quality emeralds with a distinctive bluish-green hue. Many Russian emeralds are seen in antique jewelry from the 18th–19th centuries, often set in Fabergé pieces or Romanov-era creations.
The GIA certificate corroborates the opinion of a French laboratory who gave the same verbal opinion to the previous owner.
