Antique Georgian Sapphire and Diamond Ring, Solid 22K Gold and Sterling Silver

Product Highlights

METAL: Solid 22k , Stamped 22k

GEMS: 1 Natural Sapphire -- 0.15ct

2 Additional Natural Diamonds -- 0.031ctw

4 Additional Natural Diamonds -- 0.033ctw

CONDITION: Restored Vintage

CURRENT SIZE: 7.75. Expert resizing available; see drop-down for safe resizing options.

APPRAISED AT: $

This is an authentic antique ring is from the Georgian period which spans between 1720-1837. It's a handmade, one-of-a-kind treasure, and presents a rare opportunity to own a stellar piece of artisan history. Since this ring was made before the Industrial Revolution of the 1840s, crafting jewelry was very labor-intensive. Nothing in this ring was cast or molded, or machine cut. Instead it was all individually hand cut, hand carved, and hand assembled in a very painstaking process. Every texture and pattern you see was applied by hand, and every filigree curl hand curved by a master on-the-fly. There are tiny artisan toolmarks throughout this ring, as there should be in this period. There are no metal stamps, but nor should there be in rings from this time. However, the ring's shank and gold filigree and milgrain accents are made from high carat solid gold that tests as 22K yellow gold. In the center is period-correct, unheated natural blue sapphire weighing about 1/8 carat, and it is rather crudely faceted by today's standards with period-correct poor symmetry from the available lapidary methods of the time. Scattered throughout the ornate handcrafted top filigree area are six period-correct, tablet-cut diamonds, which means they are not faceted on top, just flat, and the original diamond crystal shapes are left in tact at the sides. This was common for the time since diamonds are much harder than sapphires, and modern diamond faceting, or even Old European Cut faceting from the mid-late 1800's, didn't yet exist. We have tighened all of the gemstones, and carefully restored most of the setting's surfaces to shine like new, especially the upper gem area. However, as the photos gloriously show, we chose not to remove all the wonderful hallmarks of old-world craftsmanship. Underneath you will still see the oringinal red torch marks, called firescale, where the precious metals were joined, and original tiny imperfections in the surface of the solder joints. But the ring is 100% pristine clean, and absolutely an opportunity to step back in a time machine and aquire this ring looking almost exactly the way it did on the day it was purchased two-to-three hundred years ago! Amazing.