New Antique Engagement Ring

Today we completed the restoration of this beautiful Victorian engagement ring that we purchased recently from one of our European antique dealers. It is a perfect example of a piece that can only be entirely handmade.  The crown setting is in 14kt white gold and holds an aprox. 1/4 ct diamond. The low bridge has beautiful rose cut bead-set diamonds embedded in it which gives this ring extra sparkle. Here is yet another reason to choose quality over size in a diamond. It is a one of a kind piece, as only an antique ring can be, fully restored to its original splendor. It will be making its way to one of our stores in the next few days and soon onto the hand of a very lucky lady! -RB

Victorian Jewelry (Circa 1840-1890)

Victorian Jewelry (Circa 1840-1890)

The second day of our 'Antique Jewelry Primer' brings us to the Victorian era. Probably our collective favorite & the period which inspires us most in terms of our own aesthetic sensibility. Delicate, intricate motifs (often inspired by nature) prevailed with floral motifs and symbolic themes found on rings, lockets, brooches and earrings. 

 Victorian Cameo Necklace

Queen Victoria influenced much of the fashion of the world.  By the mid century, and with the death of Prince Albert, the Queen went into a long period of mourning and black jewelry came into fashion.  Jet jewelry is timeless and strikingly contemporary as it goes with so many of our own (current) fashion trends. Later in the century, silver jewelry again took its place as diamonds and pearl set jewelry were once more in style. The end of the Victorian Era saw a move towards color & light with jewelers invoking more feminine styles &  brightening their designs with emeralds, sapphires & spinel. 

Georgian Jewelry (Circa 1714-1835)

Georgian Jewelry (Circa 1714-1835)

We covet any treasure from this elegant era of jewelry history! Tastes and style changed considerably over the span of this era. The start of the period was mainly gold and silver with diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. Later though, the fall of the aristocracy and neo-classicism led jewelry designs into a different world altogether - one of less costly materials and semi-precious gem stones. During this time, a rising middle class began to afford the luxury of jewels and finery. Paste jewelry came into vogue as a substitute for diamonds by a growing middle class that couldn't quite afford them. Pastes (which are glass composites) are softer than ordinary glass but have a higher index of refraction and dispersion that give them great brilliancy and fire. Quality paste stones from this era were faceted & polished in the same way an actual diamond would've been cut - and often, no less beautiful.

 This stick pin is a simple example of paste jewelry from the end of the Georgian era.  

 

Engagement Rings, Day..7!

The last day of Engagement Ring posts has arrived. We're going out in style with this beautiful 18k White Gold & Diamond filigree Ring. The intricate filigree work and engraving are characteristic of the late Edwardian period while the setting that frames the diamond reflects the bolder geometry of Art Deco. This is a beautiful example - so delicate & intricate yet what's really nice about this is how substantial the ring appears while being so light on the finger. Totally feminine & classic but very unique! Features a brilliant .4 carat mine cut diamond that's full of sparkle. These usually don't stick around long..

 

New Wedding Band

While going thru the images we'd set aside for our Engagement Ring posts (closing with Day 7 tomorrow) we couldn't help but be wowed by these pics of a recent addition to our wedding band offerings. These are so lovingly paired together! The thinner women's 'wheat band' has become a staple of our line but the wider ring (more masculine though looks great on a woman's finger as well) is a newer design that dovetails beautifully with the original. Shown here in 14k Yellow Gold.

Engagement Rings, Day 6

Today we're featuring an Engagement Ring that we just finished for a client in Cambridge. This is a 14k Yellow Gold band with one of the most incredible Emeralds we've ever laid eyes on! It took Rebekah almost a month to find the stone, looking & searching for exactly what the customer hoped to get. This is a Zambian Emerald hand cut in the USA. Part of what makes it so special (beyond the fact that it's a full 1.4 carat weight!) is that the stunning color is entirely natural & non-heat treated. It's also what they call 'eye-clear', meaning there are no inclusions (material that is trapped inside a mineral during its formation) - which Emeralds almost always have. Really nice also that this was given as an engagement ring, something a bit different and so beautiful. The pictures really don't do this one justice..

Engagement Rings, Day 5

We're back to Engagement Rings today with this Victorian beauty. Three stunning diamonds in a delicate trio setting in platinum with an 18k gold hallmarked band. The two side diamonds are a soft champagne color that offsets the larger center diamond just perfectly. The total weight is about 1/2 carat. This is a classic, traditional ring that will look great on any finger & never go out of style.

Golden Ladder

Things have been busy busy so apologies for the gap in engagement ring posts - more to come tomorrow on that. For a gilded hold-over we've got our new Golden Ladder! This is a lovely antique library ladder that we moved (years ago now) from Brooklyn to Northampton, always knowing it would find it's higher purpose. The day has come - another coat of varnish & it's off to Cambridge where it will serve utilitarian function as well as add some purely aesthetic satisfaction to the mix. It's going to go against the gilded wall, so - gold against gold - where it will both disappear & show it's perfect contours in equal measure. Pics are from the basement where it's being worked on..