Stately Ring with Untreated Ruby and Diamonds in Gold, Circa 1890

This ring takes us on a journey through time. Its centerpiece is a flower made of diamonds and a ruby. All the stones are set in gold. A wide gold band forms the ring’s base. The diamonds, weighing approximately 1.35 carats, are so-called “Old Mine Cut” diamonds. This cut was the most common form of diamond in the 19th century. Its proportions do not yet meet the standards of today’s brilliant-cut diamonds, but they possess a charm all their own. The stones used here are white or only slightly warm in colour and display a good, captivating brilliance. Their cut suggests that they were cut around the middle of the 19th century or shortly thereafter. The ring sets the diamonds in gold, using a combination of high prongs and crossbars that hold the stones securely in place. This type of setting is typical of the late 19th century, particularly the 1880s and 1890s. The central flower motif was therefore likely created during this period—perhaps as an earring and certainly using diamonds that were already older at the time. Today, the diamonds surround a deep, vibrant red ruby. It is an untreated ruby from Burma, now known as Myanmar. Its round cabochon cut, however, is unusual for 19th-century jewellery, suggesting that it was not originally part of the flower. But when was it added? Probably in the 1930s. The bold ring band, with its high shoulders and preference for clean geometric shapes, was likely created around that time as well. It lends the antique flower a modern touch and probably transformed it into a ring for the first time. Coloured gemstones in cabochon cuts had been particularly popular since the 1920s, so there is good reason to believe that the ruby was also set at that time. It’s surprising how many changes are hidden within this ring, which appears so uniform and striking. But that’s often the case with antique jewellery: it’s altered, passed down, cherished, and reinterpreted—and it’s precisely through these changes that it tells the story of its past.

Estimate:$4,143.71

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