Edwardian-Style 18K Gold SZ 5.5 Engagement Ring w Damaged Pink Ruby, 2.1g

Description: On first glance, I would have said this ring is well over 100 years old, but the tidy square face of the ring is white metal, so unless it's platinum (unlikely based on the weight of the ring and the lack of a platinum stamp), or was dipped in white rhodium (possible but how to tell?) at a later date, it has to date from the 1920's or later (since jewelers didn't start using white gold until the mid-1920's.) Okay, then there's the ruby, which is definitely a genuine ruby, and a very bright pink ruby at that. But it's also a very damaged ruby, with a big old chunk chewed out of the back of it. You can see it from the front in some of my photos, but in the second-to-last photo I've also helpfully circled it. I think this ruby is a later addition because, damage aside, it's cut like a modern ruby. Also, one of the prongs isn't quite resting on it, possibly indicating the prongs have been fiddled with. Finally, the detail work on the shoulders and gallery is not very well-defined, with some of the curliques, which should be open in the middle, filled with gold instead. While the style of the ring is one that would typically have been made by die striking, the gold in the nooks and crannies suggests the ring was cast. So my theory is that this ring is a cast reproduction of a old die struck ring. However, it's not a NEW reproduction because I bought it second-hand when I was a teenager and I'm now 59 years old, and the ruby was already gouged. So I'm thinking it's probably around 65 to 70 years old, and that it was originally set with a diamond that's been replaced with a ruby, and that the ruby was gouged in the course of setting. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it and thanks for reading this far. Okay, here are some boring particulars: Face height: 8.7mm Ruby: 4mm x 4mm x 2mm (approx. 0.23 carats) Band width: 1.1mm Band thickness: 1mm Ring weight: 2.1 grams Marks: "18K" stamped inside the band (no maker's mark) Size: 5.5 Condition: In addition to the stuff mentioned above, there is a weird little divot in the band (see last photo, where it's circled). At first I thought this indicated the band is hollow, but I couldn't force a wire into it. I think it's just a casting flaw. My boss (a goldsmith whose seen a lot of casting flaws in his day) agrees it's probably just a casting pit. He gave the ring a good polish, so it's ready for wear, or it's ready for stone replacement...

Price: 189.99 USD

Location: Los Angeles, California

End Time: 2024-08-15T21:57:42.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5.99 USD