Antique Navette Ring with Opal and Diamonds in Gold, Dated 1900

Australia is famous for having the most beautiful opals in the world. But did you know that pieces of jewellery featuring Australian gem-quality opals haven’t been around for very long? The first European to discover opals in Australia was the German geologist Johannes Menge. He found opals north of Adelaide in 1841. However, these discoveries initially received little attention, as they were not yet precious gem-quality opals. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that high-quality gem opals were mined on a large scale in Australia and made their way from the then-British colony to England and from there to the European jewelry market. It took a month-long voyage by ship for the colorful opals to reach Europe. So it is somewhat fitting that this opal, dating from that very same era, is set in a so-called “navette ring”, navette meaning little ship. The stone shimmers with red, yellow, and green reflections against a bluish-white background and features an almond-shaped cabochon cut. A total of 24 diamonds, weighing approximately 0.36 ct, are set alongside it. Their historical cuts date back to the 18th through early 19th centuries and reveal that the stones were reused here. The ring is in very good condition. At a later date, the ring face was rhodium-plated, so the stone settings now appear white. An engraved date on the ring band reads March 28, 1900. The ring was likely made only slightly earlier. This well-preserved piece of jewellery found its way to us from Hamburg.

Estimate:£1,430.36

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