Antique Victorian - Edwardian ring. 14k gold, opals, diamonds and demantoid garnets. Made late 19th to very early 20th century. Exact origin unknown.
Measurements:
Weight is 3.7 grams. A little over a US size 4.5 Can be resized.
Description :
An exceptionally beautiful antique ring. A curved buckle shape, arching somewhat to conform to the roundness of the finger. Raised above a very solid openwork gold gallery. The top with an outer border of tiny diamonds, exquisitely set entirely in gold. Within an inner border of bright green small demantoid garnets. Each gold set gem appearing like a flower upon very close inspection. They surround a trio of oval cabochon opals. The opals are the star of the show with fabulous gleaming and glinting play of color including greens, yellows, purples, blues and orange. The green beautifully plays with the green of the demantoid garnets surrounding the opals, adding interest and fiery movement. A pair of tiny diamonds is set in the curves between opal.
The shank is a simple gold band. The previous owner had very thin fingers, so she had a gold band with movable gold rings holding it inserted. This insert could be easily removed by the new owner and the ring can be resized if necessary.
Attention to detail, design, workmanship, quality of gems, choice of gems and the way they work with one another are all superior, making this a truly wonderful addition to any collection.
Marks and Metal:
No marks found. Gold was electronically tested as 14k.
Condition:
Good with negligible 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:
I found this ring totally mesmerizing. The quality and choice of gems and the workmanship - so exquisitely fine - simply grab the eye and keep you looking.
Demantoid garnets are a very special gem, only found in the late 19th century, and at the time, only ever found in the Ural Mountains of Russia. They were popular with the greatest jewelry designers of the Art Nouveau and Edwardian era. As with all gems, they are not created equal, but the demantoids in this ring are all fabulously bright, contributing to the great beauty of this ring. Demantoid garnets have been discovered in other locations since then, but there is no comparing these original, old stones to the more watery, dull version found today.
In the same way, there are opals and opals and these particular opals are heads and shoulders above what is normally seen. Full of fire and light with a continuous glow.
Rings of this general design are not uncommon, but the quality of workmanship and other factors that make this ring are very rare. We can't find a comparable with ease.
