Elegant Belle Époque Ring with Diamonds in Platinum on Gold, c. 1905

Anyone who wanted to buy a ring during the Belle Époque—for example, a diamond ring—was spoiled for choice. Numerous manufacturers provided jewelers with an overwhelming abundance of designs, and in stores—especially in the larger cities—there were so many wonderful pieces to choose from, just as there are today, that a customer might have felt as if she were in Ali Baba’s cave of treasures. A glance at contemporary catalogs reveals just how rich and varied the selection could be. A wonderful, colourful catalog from the Parisian jewelry manufacturer Bansse, Rue Oberkampf 16, serves as just one example to give an idea of the richness of jewellery production at the time: It was—and this is no exaggeration—a lavish era full of luxury; indeed, perhaps the era with the richest, most beautiful jewellery of all time. This ring, with its opulent design, fits perfectly into this era. It features sparkling diamonds in the Old European cut—typical of the period—set in platinum. Seven diamonds form a flower in the center of the design. Two additional diamonds give the flower a direction, running along the finger. The ring shoulders, like the diamond settings, are crafted from platinum. They are set with additional small diamonds and designed as crossed bands—a motif that originated in Classicism and came back into fashion shortly after 1900. In total, approximately half a carat of diamonds is set in this piece. The ring’s base is crafted from yellow gold, as is the ring band. This lends the ring a certain warmth. This combination of platinum and gold in a single piece of jewellery is typical of early 20th-century jewellery and makes it possible to mix and match different pieces of jewellery. We discovered the ring in London. It was created in the years shortly after 1900 and may have been made in Great Britain, though it could also have been crafted in Central Europe: fashion in those years was, in fact, international.

Estimate:$1,895.72

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