Little Darling

Antique "Toi-Et-Moi" Ring with Old European Cut Diamonds In Platinum & Gold, c. 1905

€ 980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Antique "Toi-Et-Moi" Ring with Old European Cut Diamonds In Platinum & Gold, c. 1905

Description

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

With the invention first of gas lighting and then of electric light at the end of the 19th century, the ballrooms were suddenly filled with glistening brightness. No more dark, yellow candlelight, but the white glow of hundreds of lamps made the ladies' jewellery shine and sparkle like never before. As a result, white platinum jewels set with diamonds conquered the hearts of ladies and the shop windows of jewelers. "White is the watchword today, white is fashion," declared the Leipziger Uhrmacherzeitung in 1912 on the current jewelry fashion. The ring is made of gold with a thin layer of platinum on the front - as was customary at the time, as the prices for solid platinum were exorbitant. Two old-cut diamonds sparkle at the ends of the ring band in fine settings, also made of platinum. They make the ring a so-called "Toi-et-Moi" ring. As the name suggests, the two gemstones symbolize two lovers. Napoleon already adored his wife Joséphine with such a ring and a century and a half later, John F. Kennedy asked Jackie, then still Jacqueline Bouvier, to marry him with a toi-et-moi ring made of emerald and diamond. The ring, which was probably created in Germany, came to us in Düsseldorf.

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Jewelry in elegant, cool and luxurious white - that has been the dream of jewelry designers since the late 19th century. However, technical possibilities put a stop to this dream for some time. Diamonds were available, but the tricky part was finding the right metal. Initially, only silver was available to create white jewellery, but the metal tarnishes and can leave discoloration on skin and clothing. From around 1900, platinum was used more and more frequently, but it was difficult to work with and the metal was much more expensive than gold, so platinum was usually only used on the front of the pieces. It was not until 1912, when the mass production of white gold was successfully achieved in Pforzheim by cleverly alloying gold with other metals, that the way was clear for all-round white jewellery. However, it would take until after the First World War for the new metal to really catch on: with the Art Deco fashion, however, there was no stopping it.

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Size & Details

Little Darling

€ 980.00 ^*

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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