Victorian 18k 0.12 CTW Sapphire & Diamond Ring with Noteworthy Hallmarking

General Information:

• US Size: 5.50
• Total Carat Weight: 0.123 ctw
• Precious Metal Weight: Est. 1.31 dwt
• Precious Metal Material: 18k yellow gold
• Dimensions: 4.53 mm face width (north to south); 1.90 mm face depth (rise from the finger at the center of the sapphire); band tapers from 3.96 mm at the shoulders to 1.54 mm at the base of the shank.
• Weight: A lightweight and comfortable 2.04 grams
• Markings: Maker’s mark (GB), monarchical mark (crown), gold purity mark (18), London assay office mark (leopard), letter date mark (L), and registration mark (indicating October 12, 1880).
• Era: Please see the description for a clear outline of the mystery surrounding this ring’s age and origins.
• Buyer Notes: This ring is not only a lovely jewel, but also offers a feast of history. It glows with a rich patina that has been left as-is for the high desirability of such a characteristic. Its beauty is certainly attractive, as it boasts a timeless combination of the sapphire and diamond gemstones, but its value extends well beyond its aesthetics. The markings that are found on the interior of its shank are a very rare, exquisitely preserved record of jewelry and economic history, British parliamentary law, artistic integrity and Victorian-era commerce. As such, the depths of this ring’s value are vast! To the collector and jewelry enthusiast, the Victorian buff, the archivist and historian, and the hallmark connoisseur, this ring is a once in a lifetime curio, and is certainly a must-have.

Specifications:

• Center Stone Type: Sapphire
• Center Stone Count: One (1)
• Center Stone Carat Weight: Est. 0.048 ct
• Center Stone Dimensions: 2.65 x 2.57 x 1.10 mm (measured within mount)
• Center Stone Shape: Round Faceted Cut
• Center Stone Color: Blue color; medium-dark tone; vivid saturation

• Side Stone Type: Diamond
• Side Stone Count: Two (2)
• Side Stone Carat Weight: One diamond is 0.041 ct and the other is 0.034 ct; 0.075 ctw together
• Side Stone Dimensions: 1.8 mm (measured within mount)
• Side Stone Shape: Antique Single Cut (note the unusually high crowns, which is very atypical for this kind of simpler cut, even in stones of this age)
• Side Stone Color: F-G (this is very bright white and quite a nice color for such tiny stones)
• Side Stone Clarity: VS1-SI1 (clean to the naked eye and up to 60x magnification under a jeweler’s loupe)

The Story:

Wonderfully delicate and full of intriguing history, this quintessential Victorian ring is fabricated in sultry yellow gold and features a trio of old cut gemstones. Nestled within three like square mounts, a natural sapphire is flanked by a pair of diamonds, each of them cut and faceted by hand in the 19th century. They bear the variances and imperfections that are so cherished of hand-cut antique gems, their chunky faceting eye-catching even at such a dainty scale.

The sapphire is a round faceted cut stone, with a vivid cobalt blue coloration that borders closer to indigo than it does navy, making it visually striking against the richness of the gold and the brightness of the neighboring diamonds. The diamonds, though technically considered antique single cuts, boast extremely high crowns that soar in height to catch the light in a grand display. These stones are prong set at their corners, with the squared settings making their presence even more prominent on the finger. In graceful fashion and save for the exciting height of the diamonds, the ring hugs the finger to keep it comfortably low profile. Likewise, the ring’s shoulders taper toward the base of the shank, a feminine touch to an architectural composition.

While the design, itself, of this British-made ring is not dramatically unique amongst the variety of antique Victorian bands on the market, it does bear very notable features that deserve a spotlight. What makes this ring one of a kind and something of a curious mystery, is that it has an array of clear hallmarks on the interior of the shank, and while we can make out what they depict, their meanings-- especially in light of one another-- are far less defined Please reference the last listing photograph as an illustrated guide to the hallmarks found on this ring as they are described:

1. MONARCHICAL MARK + GOLD PURITY MARK: Hallmarking in the UK can be traced all the way back to the late 1320s during the Middle Ages, being more rigorously regulated by 1921 through 1999. Before 1921, multiple styles of marking were used and adapted to changing governance on the matter. Though not entirely standardized, the use of a symbol of the monarchy in the accompaniment of a purity mark has been implemented for gold and silver goods since the mid 1500s. The maker of this ring added this pair of voluntary hallmarks, comprising a crown pictorial stamp and a numerical ‘18’. The crown denotes its monarchical country of origin, which is the UK, and the ‘18’ speaks to the gold fineness of 18 karat (75% gold/750). 18k became a legally standard purity in the UK in 1798. Between 1784 and 1890, a duty mark depicting a sovereign’s profile would have been included in this lineup of hallmarks, indicating an added tax for gold, but one does not appear on this band. In the same vein, imported gold products were required by 1867 to be stamped with an ‘F’, so in the absence of this mark, we can certify that this ring was made in Britain and not imported.
2. ASSAY OFFICE LOCATION MARK: There are multiple assay offices throughout the UK, some having closed long ago and some still in business. The leopard head on this ring represents the London assay office, which has been in operation for over three centuries since 1678. This leopard is identified in the industry by the creature’s ‘bare’ or ‘uncrowned’ likeness, informing us that this ring was made after 1822; before 1822, the London assay leopard bore a crown on its head.
3. LETTER MARK AS AN INDICATION OF THE YEAR OF MANUFACTURE: The letter mark that appears on this band is something of a mystery. For centuries upon centuries, hallmarking has cycled and recycled through the alphabet to indicate the year of manufacture of precious metal goods. Each new cycle, the cartouche (shield-shaped depression) surrounding the letter would be altered for recognition, as well as the style of font. This ring shows the letter mark ‘L’, in a standard serif print, and it is situated within a cut-corner squared cartouche. Archives are readily available to researchers to provide hundreds of years’ worth of letter mark decoding. However, while the ‘L’ shown matches the date years 1806 and 1886, the cartouche around it does not match either one of these years-- making its precise year unknown.
4. REGISTRATION MARK: Most unusually, this band also shows an insanely rare registration mark opposite the string of other aforementioned hallmarks described. Like the others, this one is very clear for its age, size and rarity, though it does show areas where the original detailing has been worn away with time. These marks were employed beginning in 1842 as a way to identify mostly items made of porcelain or pottery, with scarce few other material goods, including glass, wood and metal were also stamped. This ring is one of those goods. Given this fact, this mark is usually stamped in glazed ink on the bottom of ‘utilitarian’ goods such as plates, serviceware, storage jugs, and the like. Yet, this precious article of adornment features this precise mark as well. This mark indicates the material makeup, as mentioned, the day, month and year of registration, as well as the parcel number of its kind. According to this registration mark, this ring is made of metal, parcel 11 of its kind, registered on October 12, 1880. The use of this kind of mark ceased by 1883.

SUMMATION OF MARKS TO NAIL DOWN AN ORIGINAL DATE RANGE OF MANUFACTURE: All of these hallmarks are really useful from a research perspective. However, they do seem to conflict with one another somewhat, and some do not entirely align with the standard marks of their kind used during the period from which they hail. This makes precise dating far more difficult, so we have broken down the information above to detail the age of this ring to the best of our ability according to our professional expertise and opinion:

• The crown and purity marks suggest a date of at least 1798.
• The uncrowned leopard head suggests a date of at least 1822.
• The date mark’s letter matches those of 1806 and 1886, but its cartouche matches neither.
• There is an absence of the gold duty stamp that was on gold items from 1784-1890, suggesting either an untaxed (illegally?) product, or a date of at least 1890.
• The presence of a registration mark suggests a date of at least 1842 and no later than 1883.
• The registration mark suggests a precise date of October 12, 1880.
• So, to what year does this ring date? It is a mystery, but if the registration date is our most reliable informant, then it dates to circa 1880, and is one of at least 11 rings of this kind made.

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