Antique ring gold silver diamonds yellow paste solitaire engagement ring (7588)

Antique Victorian ring. Gold and silver, diamonds and paste. Solitaire - suitable as an engagement or wedding ring or simply to enjoy with any outfit. 
 

Measurements:

Weight is 2.0 grams. US size 5.5. 

Description :

Classic design of a solitaire ring, with the entire hoop/band very finely set with tiny diamonds. While there are literally millions of solitaire rings out there, it is extremely rare to find a band finely set with diamonds like this one. 

Marks and Metal:

No marks. Due to the combination of silver and gold and the small amount of metal, we have not been able to accurately check the purity of gold. To be conservative, please assume low karat. 
     

Condition:

Good with minor wear commensurate with age and use. One prong is not complete (new owner can have it restored).  Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.   

THE STORY:

The finely diamond-set band or hoop of this ring is a genuine rarity and what makes the ring a subtle stand-out. Yes, there are many rings with diamonds in the band, but firstly, they rarely go all the way around and even when they do, one almost never finds them with this tiny, fine workmanship. For the herd, a big stone is what draws the eye; for the cognoscenti it is the subtle fine workmanship that is almost unrepeatable that makes this a unique item.

Finding antique jewelry with this unusual gem combination is rare and makes the item all-the-more interesting as it gives us a little peep into the values of long ago.
In bygone centuries, combinations of gems and metals that seem unusual to us were perfectly acceptible and normal. We are quite accustomed to seeing the combination of yellow gold with a layer of silver for setting diamonds. The Victorians loved the contrast between red and green stones, coral and turquoise and other unusual eye-catching features. Paste was not seen as a substitute for 'real' gems, but a valid component of many fine jewels. We will probably never know why the jeweller who made this ring chose this particular combination, but it is certainly eye-catching and effective. 
Since Georgian times, paste jewelry was a type of jewelry in its own, highly respected, right. It was not seen as a substitute for 'the real thing', but a valid and highly regarded jewelry form as the high quality of workmanship and other materials illustrate. 
Paste was not quite the same as our modern glass, usually having a high lead content, to make it harder and thus allow a brighter polish and shine. 

As we know, it was also the norm to set colored gems in gold, but diamonds in silver. This was in order to show off the diamonds to greater effect in candle or gas light. Often, there is a lot more silver with only the thinnest layer of gold behind it. 

Some items defy generalisations and the normal rules. This is such a case. A ring set in mixed silver and gold, gems both genuine rose-cut diamonds and paste. It is a great example of antique jewelry that incorporated paste as opposed to nature's products. In previous centuries, paste was highly regarded and admired and was used in jewelry, not only alone, but mixed in with other gems. This is a ring that gives me great pleasure to look at. While the gems might not be valuable in their own right, the fine workmanship and great look more than compensate. This is about personal taste and love of beauty and not following the herd.