Magnificent Gold Curb Bracelet with Untreated Ruby, Sapphires & Diamonds

In the last decades of the 19th century, yellow gold bracelets were popular and were often worn several times at the same time. This piece, which came to us from southern Germany, also dates from this era. The solidly crafted piece of jewelry is in the form of a classic round shell pattern, which becomes stronger towards the middle as it graduates. Here, the links widen out to form a display side adorned with five precious jewellery stones: two untreated blue sapphires flank an equally untreated ruby from Burma and two sparkling old-cut white diamonds. The gemstones are set in crown-shaped prong settings that rise up in the wide links of the centerpiece. Seen from the front, the settings recede as much as possible and allow the color effect of the high-quality gemstones to take precedence. And this is truly wonderful - the sapphires are radiant blue and the red of the fine Burma ruby is as intense as a maraschino cherry on a cake. Rubies from Burma, especially around the city of Mogok, are characterized by their intense pink-red color and an appearance that is described as silky. The finest inclusions of rutile needles ensure a gentle diffusion of light in the stone. The ruby and sapphires in this bracelet have not been artificially treated or heated. Their wonderful colors have been created solely by the forces of nature. The surface of the 14-karat gold bracelet has also been finely gold-plated. This gives it a wonderfully buttery sheen, reminiscent of the sparkle of antique gold coins. This strong coloration of the design is entirely in keeping with the taste of the late 19th century. From around the beginning of the 1880s to the mid-1890s, people liked to wear different colored stones together in one design: "One often finds rubies, pearls, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires combined in one piece of jewelry, which would have been frowned upon in the past," reported the Leipziger Illustrirte Zeitung in the spring of 1883. And further: "The latest samples of costume jewellery items show that delicate, graceful work and rich color effects, which are achieved by combining many colored gemstones, are currently much more preferred [...] " An independent expert opinion on the bracelet and its materials is available from Vienna.

Estimate:£8,061.09

View all items fromHofer AntikschmuckorJewellery & Gems