Magnificent Art Deco Platinum Ring with Diamonds & Tourmalines, c. 1930

In the midst of the increasingly fast-changing world of the years following the Second World War, Art Deco artists and craftsmen were looking for a new formal language. They rejected Art Nouveau, which they considered too sweet and transfigured, and instead strove for geometric rigor. Only this seemed appropriate in the age of automobiles, skyscrapers and express trains. Plant forms now grew upwards in jagged shapes, lightning flashed across wallpaper as a reference to the electricity that was now used everywhere, and people's bodies also became slimmer in paintings and graphic art, stretching up towards the sky. This aesthetic still has an impact today. When we dream back to the time of the great film divas in the cinema or succumb to the magic of the skyscrapers in New York, we think of the parties of the great Gatsby, the scandals surrounding Mae West and the beauty and luxury of this short but all the more intense era. This ring from this period combines the finest platinum, green tourmalines and sparkling diamonds of various cuts to create a design of particular finesse. Four large old-cut diamonds shine in the center of the angular ring face. They are set in a row and have a soft, warm-toned light. The gemstones, which together weigh around 1.90 ct, are around two generations older than the ring itself. To the left and right of the large diamonds, stripes of green tourmalines lead over to smaller diamonds, which form the transition to the ring shoulder. Fine millegrains accentuate the separated shapes and, together with a finely openworked undercut, give the ring details that become increasingly beautiful on closer inspection. We have had the ring band renewed in our workshop. The piece of jewelry is an example of the high precision of Art Déco, which apparently brought older gemstones into a modern form. The impressive diamond ring is in very good condition and can also be worn with pleasure in everyday life.

Estimate:$6,900.97

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