Antique "Vegetable Ring" with Gemstones in Gold, Germany circa 1925

An unusual form of jewellery enjoyed great popularity in the 1920s: what is now called "vegetable" jewellery. This type of jewellery got its name due to its decoration with tendrils, blossoms and leaves, from which pearls and precious stones peek out like ripe fruit. Thus, "vegetable" pieces appear like small gardens, made of precious materials in miniature. This style had its origins in the leaf ornaments of the expressive Art Nouveau designs of the Wiener Werkstätten and Theodor Fahrner, which had evolved into vegetable jewelry. So it is not surprising that jewellery in this style originated mainly in Germany and Austria. The basic design of the ring presented here is a typical piece of Art Deco jewellery, with a ring face in a rectangular shield shape and stepped ring shoulders. Instead of platinum, millegrains and diamonds, however, we see here hand-forged leaves and vines of warmly glowing yellow gold. A large old-cut diamond sparkles as a dewdrop between them, and a blue sapphire and a red synthetic ruby shine next to it - all the rage at the time. The ring is pleasantly solid and was made in Germany, as evidenced by its hallmark. Some other jewels of this type can be found, for example, in Christianne Weber: Schmuck der 1920er und 1930er Jahre in Deutschland, Stuttgart 1990.

Estimate:$2,226.59

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