12 Days of Gifts, Day 4

What could be better than a holiday proposal?! And with this ring you could not go wrong. The show-stopper of our Northampton case - this incredible beauty has a center 1.35ct Old European cut diamond circa late 1800's, accented with other small diamonds on the sides. The platinum setting is early Art Deco with a wheat pattern intricately engraved on the sides as well as on the setting, and accents of milgrain throughout the entire piece. The engraving is in exquisite condition with little signs of age and wear. The diamond specs: K color, SI1 clarity, 1.5tcw, Old European Cut. This would make the perfect gift.

Cycles of Life: Rings from the Benjamin Zucker Family Collection

For those who follow our blog & our passion for antique jewelry, consider this. If you find yourself in New York City from Oct 30 - Dec 6th, make room in your schedule for a visit to Les Eluminures. Titled, 'Cycles of Life: Rings from the Benjamin Zucker Family Collection' - this exhibition collects over 40 exceptional museum-quality rings selected from the private collection of one of the world's leading gem dealers, experts, and connoisseurs. These will be on  public view together for the first time - the collection spans from 3rd century A.D. through to the later part of the 19th century (*see examples below). Not to be missed! See you there.

 

 

From the Catalog : Since his first purchase in 1970, Benjamin Zucker has assembled one of the largest collections of marriage rings in private hands and a collection of diamond jewellery that is unrivalled, even by De Beers. With each ring selected for its exceptional quality of stones, rarity, and level of artistry, the collection features many fine examples of signet rings ranging from the 3rd to the 17th century; ancient Roman friendship and engagement rings; medieval posy rings; Renaissance and Baroque wedding rings; Jewish marriage rings, and memorial and death’s head memento mori rings from the 17th to the 19th century. They include a significant grouping of precious diamond-set rings. Many boast provenances dating back generations to Europe’s most prominent collecting families, including the de Clercqs and the Rothschilds. Ultimately, these exquisite jewels – many of which have been the subject of national and international museum exhibitions, loans, and publications – form a remarkable testament to a discerning eye.

Lockets

Often the most personal of adornments, a new batch of vintage lockets just came in. As they sat next to each other on a tray in the studio waiting to be revived, we couldn't help be struck by their gorgeous yet subtle variations of form & design. When the engravings, stones & enamels are all cleaned up they'll begin again - ready to acquire a new history.

 

Come To Life

September always signifies a time to realize ideas that have been stirring over the Summer. Here in the studio there are a bunch of new pieces in the works for Fall. Last week when Rebekah left her sketchbook out on the desk we couldn't help snap a few pictures of the pages coming to life..

 

Rebekah's Jewelry Box

I feel so lucky to have the job of buying the antique jewelry we sell and now and then I just can't part with it. Truly, I've been collecting pieces over the (almost) 20 years I've been a jeweler. Sometimes it's the rarity of a piece that catches my eye, or a style or stone that I've always wanted. Jewelry continues to be an excellent investment so that helps me justify a growing collection, as well as the desire to pass on these incredible examples of timeless design for my kids to enjoy with their own families someday. I plan to unearth more treasures from my collection soon, so stay tuned. Best wishes and Happy Summer! -Rebekah

The above were a Mothers Day gift from my husband. A perfect example of early paste (1880's-turn of the century). The bows actually look like drooping fabric, almost abstract. The paste stones are cut by hand (in this period and before, crystal was often cut to mimic diamonds in quality, and did - see previous posts on paste jewelry history). The rings holding the chain were worn away so we laser welded the natural Victorian coral back in place.

 

These are a really cool, rare example of antique Gilt, handmade in France sometime circa the 19th century. Gilt is an overlay of Gold (14k in this case) on any metal, typically Silver. These earrings look so good on & I always get compliments whenever & wherever I wear them. To this day I've never seen such unique metalwork and the coral cabochon's compliment it beautifully.

Wedding Ring Event!

Spring Engagement, Day 2

Here we have another antique beauty. This from the turn of the last century in England featuring a gorgeous mine cut .25 c diamond. The mixed metal of yellow Gold with a Platinum top complements the stone beautifully. With some really nice milgrain work on the band, this one's a total classic.

Spring Engagement, Day 1

As wedding season approaches we've been busy in the shops and with Spring just around the corner (really!) we thought it time to share some of our current crop of gorgeous engagement rings. First up, a stunning 3/4 carat Deco ring with a center diamond of incredible color & sparkle. The band is 18k White Gold, hand engraved with bright side diamonds, the center diamond an early transitional cut.  The picture doesn't really doesn't do justice to this beauty. Come in & have a look!

A Carat & A Half

Back to our engagement rings today with a big beauty. This early Art Deco (1920's) ring holds an incredible 1.35 carat center diamond - along with some beautiful side diamonds bringing the total carat weight to 1.5 - alot of bling! The diamond is accompanied by GIA certification & papers. The setting matches the brilliance of the stone perfectly with delicate wheat engraving & millgrain work. Antique rings of this calibur don't come around all that often, and usually don't stay around long. Come into our Cambridge shop & see how it looks on you finger..

 

January : Engagement Rings

In the depths of winter one of the highlights for us is the beginning of wedding season. This starts with a proposal of course, and if you're going to do that you need a ring..but not just any ring. We've got some truly gorgeous new (to us) engagement rings at both shops & are going to be sharing some of them here on the blog. Today's beauty dates to the 1930's and features an incredible sparkling 1 carat diamond in a transitional cut. There are some beautiful side diamonds as well for additional luminescence set perfectly into the white gold of the band. The big diamond sits nice & low on the finger so it's in no way garish, perfectly balancing it's antiquity with a modern feel - don't expect this one to stick around long.

 

12 Days of Gifts, Day 9

Do you have a queen in your life? We've got just the thing! Cut Steel & Marcasite Jewelry. We've been slowly collecting some really nice examples of this. Cut-steel jewelry is jewelry 'set' with tiny faceted and polished steel studs, fashioned to resemble gemstones and usually riveted in place. The Swiss pioneered this process as early as the 1700's often using cut steel as a substitute for diamonds. Later Marcasite was introduced as it took a higher shine than the steel & didn't rust. These pieces are almost always made with Silver & the craft involved in making them was exceptional. We've got some gorgeous pieces from the Georgian era up to the Deco period. 

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Our newest engagement ring is an antique Victorian sapphire and rose cut diamond Cluster. Currently we don't think of Cluster diamond rings or sapphires as being traditional engagement rings but, it was quite common in the Victorian era. Diamonds are a more modern engagement ring stone choice than Sapphires and many say that 'something borrowed something blue' was referring to the sapphire. The Ceylon Sapphire here is surrounded by 15 glittering rose cut diamonds. This style of ring has persisted for over 100 years and is both classic & timeless in every sense. This is a rare beauty of a ring, soon to find it's way to the hand of a very lucky woman...

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

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..

 

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.

Engagement Rings, Day 3

Day 3 of our Engagement Ring installment brings us to yet another lovely piece. This late Nouveau period ring features some beautiful scroll work along the 14k yellow gold band illuminating a 14k white gold top that's cradling a brilliant 1/4 carat center diamond. This, perfection in it's simplicity!

Engagement Rings, Day 2

Another incredible vintage ring for you today! This one just came into the shop. Here we have a beautiful Art Deco ring in 18k white gold featuring a stunning center diamond of about half a carat. The two side marquis diamonds feature some gorgeous milgrain detailing around them. This ring offers a tiered profile which adds beautiful lines to the design & makes the sparkle of the stones just pop. This is a great example of an antique ring that's totally classic yet retains a distinctly modern edge some 100 years on from when it was made.

Engagement Rings, Day 1

With flowers abloom and Spring in full swing - wedding season is officially upon us! To celebrate this season of commitments we are showcasing 7 days of some of our favorite engagement rings (and maybe a few wedding bands thrown in for good measure). For Day 1 we've got one of the largest diamonds we've ever had in the shop! A truly incredible 1 carat trans-euro cut diamond in a gorgeous Art Deco platinum ring. This stunning ring has it all - brilliance and bling in a delicate, streamlined setting that looks incredible on any finger.