Vintage Chain Ring with Diamonds in White Gold, Italy 1974

Link bracelets are among the classics of jewelry design, but rings that incorporate this familiar motif are much less common. This ring consists of three large, interlocking chain links made of high-karat white gold, whose softly rounded shapes come together to form a cohesive design. The brilliantly polished surfaces are punctuated by a total of 18 sparkling diamonds set in recessed fields. This creates a captivating interplay between the cool luster of the gold and the vibrant fire of the gemstones. The ring was created in 1974 in Italy, in the workshop of goldsmith Ottavio Molina. Molina was born in 1915 in San Salvatore Monferrato in Piedmont and began learning the goldsmith’s craft from his older brothers at the age of twelve. After training in various workshops in nearby Valenza, he founded his own business in 1948, which soon became a leading name in the region’s goldsmithing industry. Together with two other goldsmiths, Molina founded the distribution company G.A.M. in 1958, which introduced jewellery from the region’s workshops to international markets. The manufacturer’s mark “319 AL” on the inside of the ring band also identifies our ring as coming from this workshop. The story behind this piece of jewellery becomes even more personal thanks to an engraving on the inside of the ring band. There we can read the initials “L.G.G.” and the date “12/24/74.” The ring was apparently a Christmas gift, presented on Christmas Eve in 1974. Perhaps it lay in a small box under a festively decorated Christmas tree before being slipped onto its new owner’s finger for the first time. We no longer know who the initials refer to. What remains, however, is a beautiful testament to a personal affection expressed through a piece of jewellery that is as precious as it is unusual.

Estimate:$1,438.16

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