Vintage Cocktail Ring with Untreated Ceylon Sapphire and Diamonds, c. 1950

A precious, untreated sapphire is the centerpiece of this ring. The gemstone has that typical, mild and clear celestial color that is associated with the origin then called Ceylon – and its cut is similarly celestial, being reminiscent of the medieval concept of the firmament. The stone is cut in the so-called sugarloaf cut, i.e. the cabochon protrudes upwards and forms a rounded tip - the sugarloaf shape that gives it its name. This cut gives it a wonderful, complex interplay of colors and light reflections when in motion, making it appear to glow from within. An elegantly openworked, fanned-out gallery lifts the sapphire high above the finger. It is surrounded by a ring of diamonds that form an elegant and restrained, narrow border around the blue gemstone. Their settings are masterfully understated. Two further, individual diamonds on the ring shoulders lead over to the shank, thus perfecting the illusion of a jewel made entirely of radiant light reflections. The diamonds are shaped in a modern brilliant cut, which suggests that the ring was created after the Second World War. However, every detail of the ring's design still reflects the high art of the goldsmith's technique of the interwar period: on the one hand, the diamond settings are so finely designed that they are almost completely concealed. In addition, the platinum on the front is set with a white gold underlay. This combination was typical of jewellery from the 1930s and increasingly fell out of fashion in the post-war period. The ring was therefore most likely created at the beginning of the 1950s: as a bright departure into a brighter, more beautiful world.

Estimate:$15,170.09

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