Exquisite Antique Ring with Old-Cut Diamonds in Platinum on Gold

It was the time when the great Boldini painted portraits of high society’s beauties adorned in pearls and silk chiffon; when Thomas Mann’s works were available in bookstores in their first editions, and elegant women, adorned with diamonds, would head to the opera or the concert hall to listen to the world premieres of works by Richard Strauss or Claude Debussy. The Titanic hadn’t even been sketched on the drawing board yet, and the First World War was, at most, a vague foreboding: Europe was still revelling in beauty and luxury, in the euphoria of a new century. This ring was created during those glamorous and exuberant years—visibly so. Its design exudes a lightness and sophistication known only to the Belle Époque. Three large diamonds in historic cuts are arranged along the finger and seem to float like beacons of light in their settings. Surrounding them are asymmetrical, playful tendrils whose design language clearly reveals the influence of Art Nouveau—a style that had only just emerged but was already seen everywhere. We discovered this beautiful ring in Paris. As its hallmark indicates, it was crafted outside of Paris, most likely in Savoy. However, it’s hardly surprising that these beautiful diamonds, set in such a spirited design, sooner or later found their way to the French capital, with all its festivities and temptations …

Estimate:£3,864.98

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