A rare and beautiful antique Georgian marquise ring crafted in sterling silver set with a large curved baguette of vibrant purple foiled glass that is decorated in a forget-me-not pearl motif and framed in a halo of pearls.
Known as "amethyst glass" the paste stone has a deep and distinctive hue and it is a colour favoured in 18th century mourning jewellery. The presence of pearls in the design hint at tears shed for the deceased.
The ring is large and imposing, it covers the full front of the finger from the base to middle knuckle and it is a large finger size too which is unusual for rings of this age. Given age, at over 240 years old, the ring is in very good antique condition showing expected wear and signs of advanced age. Cosmetically to the eye the ring is just beautiful with all the pearls present. There are a few surface chips here and there to the glass and a crack at one corner which is stable and shouldn't come loose, please see the magnified close up photos.
These oversized glass and gem set marquise rings were made fashionable in the late 1700s by the ill-fated French queen Marie Antionette who wore a blue glass and diamond version that became known as "Bague au Firmament" (ring of the heavens) because the blue glass representing the sky and the diamonds the stars. This is the first time we have seen one fashioned as a mourning ring, with the purple glass invoking a cold night sky and the pearls tears. It is as unusual, as it is enchanting!
MATERIALS: sterling silver, acid tested
GEMSTONES: amethyst glass cabochon measuring 1-1/8" (2.8cm) tall, 5/8" (1.6cm) wide. Natural seed pearls approx. 1.5mm diameter
MEASUREMENTS: ring size UK-Q, US 8, EU-56.5. The face of the ring measures 1-1/4" (3.2cm) tall by 3/4" (2cm) wide
HALLMARKS: None
WEIGHT: 7.4 grams
DATE: Georgian, circa 1780
At Mercy Madge we offer a carefully curated collection of antique and vintage jewellery. Each piece is hand selected with you in mind and we rarely come across two identical old treasures, once they are gone, they are truly gone!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FREE DELIVERY on all orders worldwide. All orders are despatched next business day and sent with full tracking.
- RETURNS, you can return your item for a refund for any reason. Just get in touch within 3 days of receiving your order if you wish to do so.
- Unless otherwise stated any antique boxes in our photos are for display only, and are not included in the purchase. However, do rest assured all pieces will arrive gift wrapped in one of our custom Mercy Madge jewellery boxes.
- We offer a free layaway plan on any item over $200. A 25% deposit will secure and reserve the item for you with the balance due in 60 days. If you would like to place an item on layaway please send us a message and we will assist in setting this up for you.
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