Pas de deux

Antique Toi-et-moi Ring with Natural Pearl and Diamond, Germany, c. 1910

€ 7,590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Antique Toi-et-moi Ring with Natural Pearl and Diamond, Germany, c. 1910

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

White was the fashionable color for jewellery in the first decades of the 20th century. Diamond jewellery could hardly shine coolly enough for the evening. This Belle Époque ring also shines completely in white and juxtaposes three different nuances and textures: the silky luster of a natural pearl, the clear sparkle of diamonds and the cool metallic surface of platinum. The large old-cut diamond weighs around 1.35 ct and has even, clear proportions and very good brilliance with a fine, white colour (G, top Wesselton) and good clarity (si1). It shines brightly and impressively in sunlight. It is set against a large natural pearl in a warm gray. The pearl is slightly baroque and has a depressed shape. The luster is very good, the overlay shows a light pink. The juxtaposition of to gems, here the diamond and pearl, is typical of Toi-et-moi rings. At the time time, the gemstones were read as a representation of the lovers. They are recognizable as individuals and yet firmly united as partners in marriage: rings of this type were therefore often given as engagement rings. The decoration of the ring is exceptionally precious. At the time the ring was created, pearls like the one used here were recovered by divers in the Persian Gulf; cultured pearls were not yet available, so natural oriental pearls were all the more precious and traded at prices similar to diamonds of the same size. Finally, until the Russian Revolution, platinum was mined almost exclusively in the Urals and exported to all European countries. The metal was considerably more expensive than gold at the time and the white accents of the design are evidence of the ring's preciousness. The ring also comes with an independent certificate confirming the quality of the materials. The high-quality ring is in very good condition. We were able to discover it in Augsburg. Its hallmark suggests that it was made in Germany. We date it to around 1910.

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Rings like this one, with two protagonists, were designed in inexhaustible variety at the beginning of the 20th century. A look at historical jewelry catalogs provides a nice overview of the contemporary variety. See, for example, the catalog of the jeweler E. Bansse from Paris. You can find it under this link.

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Size & Details

Pas de deux

€ 7,590.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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