Victorian Diamond Ring in Rococo Design, c. 1900

Throughout the 19th century and even at the turn of the 20th century, people were fascinated by the past. Peace reigned in Europe, and industrialization had brought great prosperity to the bourgeoisie. The 18th century—that bygone era of supposed splendor and joy—could once again become a point of reference and a model—with the difference that now it was no longer limited to the nobility. Masquerade balls were held, featuring dances in the old French style, and fashion, too, reflected echoes of the Rococo and Classicism. This ring is modeled in every detail after examples from the second half of the 18th century. The three-part composition with a prominent center stone, the lily-shaped elements on the ring shoulders, the fluted underside of the central, closed setting, and even the C-shaped curves applied to the sides reveal an intensive study of jewellery from a century that had already passed by that time. Unlike its predecessors, however, the ring does not use small table-cut diamonds, or even rock crystals or glass pastes: it features large, voluminous diamonds in cushion and oval antique cuts—styles that would not have existed at that time. What is fascinating about this is that such cuts did not become widespread until diamond discoveries in South Africa during the last third of the 19th century. With a larger supply of these precious gemstones now available, cutters finally dared to remove a lavish amount of material from the rough crystals in order to give them greater brilliance in return. The ring is thus not only a glimpse into the past but also a snapshot of its time. Rings that were very closely modeled after 18th-century designs and were characterized by a high standard of craftsmanship were produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in southern Germany. Contemporary sources and the surviving rings themselves bear impressive witness to this. Our ring was likely also made in Germany.

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