Elegant Ring with Emerald & Diamonds in Platinum & Gold, c. 1920

"We already look at the green of the herbs and leaves with pleasure. But we like the emeralds even better, for their green is the most beautiful of all. Moreover, they are the only precious stones that fill the eyes without saturating them; indeed, when the eyes are weakened by exertions of other kinds, they are strengthened again by looking at emeralds [...] for their soft green dispels their dullness." (Nat. Hist. 37,16) The beauty and effect of gemstones already fascinated the ancients. The quote reproduced here comes from Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar from Como. In 77 AD, he compiled the knowledge of nature at the time in a work, the Naturalis Historia or Natural History. The gemstone whose color Pliny describes so exuberantly was chosen as the center stone of this finely crafted ring. It is a particularly clear emerald, only slightly interspersed with those inclusions known as "jardin". The emerald is set in platinum and surrounded by a ring of eight fine-quality old-cut diamonds, also set in platinum, which further intensify its color in contrast. Delicate millegrains line the setting, while the lower band and ring band are made of yellow gold. This was common in the first quarter of the 20th century, as jewellery was supposed to be platinum on the show side, while gold ring bands made it easier to change the ring size. The ring was created around 1920 and wonderfully demonstrates the artistic and precise craftsmanship of the time. The ring band has been renewed in more recent times. We were able to acquire it as part of a large jewelry collection here in Berlin.

Estimate:£2,911.81

View all items fromHofer AntikschmuckorJewellery & Gems