Delightful Ring with Citrine, Garnets & Diamonds in White Gold, c. 2010

This ring is striking, large, and colorful—sparkling and full of joy! An intense orange-brown citrine forms the centerpiece of the design. It is held in place by a wide setting adorned with red garnets and brightly sparkling brilliant-cut diamonds. The garnets form a dark, shimmering backdrop against which the brilliant-cut diamonds rest in sculpturally curved shapes. To further enhance this effect, the white gold between the garnets has been rhodium-plated black, while the white gold between the brilliant-cut diamonds has been rhodium-plated with a bright finish. The ring is large and very sculpturally designed, like a small sculpture. It holds the citrine high above the finger, yet its form remains compact and solid. The elaborate design, featuring gemstones set close together in a pavé setting, also contributes to this effect: Unlike jewellery from the 1960s or 1970s, where the form often dissolves into a structure of bars and openings, here the gold and gemstones merge into sparkling, closed surfaces. The ring is made of hard stone and metal. And yet the material appears soft and organic: the surfaces are curved, with gentle, beautiful rounded contours. The citrine in the center is nestled almost tenderly into its bed of garnets. To us, its design evoked images of mysterious corals in a warm sea. The richness of the colours, the inner movement, and the appearance—which seems entirely out of place in our rational world—certainly contribute to this impression. Jewellery featuring colorful gemstones in pavé settings made of dark rhodium-plated metal first appeared in the 1990s in haute joaillerie, for example at JAR in Paris or De Grisogono in Geneva. Unfortunately, this ring is not signed, but the high-quality craftsmanship suggests that it was crafted in one of the northern Italian workshops that also produce pieces for the major European jewelry houses. It was certainly created shortly after the turn of the millennium. We were able to acquire it as part of a collection of high-quality modern pieces of jewellery in northern Italy.

Estimate:$7,838.25

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