Fabulous Engagement Ring with 1.40 Ct Old European Cut Diamond in

In Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, Marilyn Monroe sings that although a kiss on the hand is quite European, a woman's true friend is a diamond. But what if the diamond itself is very European? This engagement ring from around 1900 features a large, sparkling diamond in the old brilliant cut. This so-called old cut - known in English as the "Old European Cut" - was the usual way of cutting a diamond in the late 19th and early 20th century. Compared to modern brilliants, the stone is somewhat more compact, the table is smaller and the dispersion - i.e. the proportion of light that is not reflected but split into the rainbow colors - is greater. The diamond has a warm white hue and a few inclusions - typical of diamonds from this period. It is set in platinum, which also covers the ring shoulders, where four other small diamonds are set. The ring band and the underside of the ring face, on the other hand, are made of warm, shiny yellow gold. This gives the ring a certain warmth. The yellow gold also goes well with the warm shine of the diamond. Around 1900, the usual technique for producing diamond jewelry was to set gold jewellery with a platinum front. Platinum was significantly more expensive than gold and also very difficult to work with. For this reason, jewelry was rarely made entirely from platinum. Instead, the precious metal was rolled onto the gold jewelry in thin sheets. The result was a shiny white piece of jewelry that reflected the latest fashion. It was not until the 1920s that jewelry made entirely of platinum began to appear. This detail helps us to date the ring to around 1900 - in addition to the cut of the diamond and, of course, the design of the ring. We discovered this beautiful ring, which is ideal as an engagement ring, in Württemberg. An independent expert opinion has confirmed the quality of the materials.

Estimate:$7,288

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