This little beauty was a fun mystery to solve! Purchased with no gemstone ID I had to use my experience and luckily it paid off!
This ring looked to be in the Harlequin style, a style that emerged in the late 1800s and into the early 1900 during the Georgian and Victorian periods. The name "harlequin" comes from the vibrant, multi-patched costume of the Italian theatrical character. These pieces often featured gemstones of mismatched or dissimilar colours often garnets citrine, sapphire peridot and spinels. I haven't seen this combination of gems before and rings are not common usually we see bracelets or fringe necklaces more commonly. That rich rosey gold had me thinking antique but there were modern Australian hallmarks for 18ct. But after seeing the addition of older worn hallmarks I realized like so many pieces I see that the modern marks had been added later by a jeweller. They do this if there are no hallmarks or they are very worn. So always pays to look at every aspect of a ring when dating or purchasing them.
After sending her off to my valuer he confirmed likely early Australia but maker unable to be identified. Excitedly three bright natural spinels and one peridot featured. Spinels are garnering so much more attention these days as they should for their rich variety of colours and often mistaken for ruby and sapphire. This ring is c1900s and such a beautiful piece with four claw settings that extend from the elongated under rails that are embellished with 2 x trefoil sphere details on either side. The colours although mismatched looks so perfect together! Some wear to facets and gold please see videos.
Size M 1/2
Total Weight 3.59grams
Total Spinel Weight 2.36ct
Gemstone Dimensions
1 Spinel @ 6.23 x 5.12 x 3.06mm
Approx 0.71ct
Cut Oval Pale Violet Clarity, L11
1 Olivine Peridot @ 6.40 x 5.59 x 3.98mm
Appro 0.98ct
Cut Oval, Intense Yellowish Green Clarity112
1 Spinel @ 6.58 x 5.14 x 3.83mm
Approx 0.94ct
Cut Oval, Dark Red MI2 Clarity L11
1 Spinel @ 5.94 x 5.92 x 3.13mm
Approx 0.71ct
Cut Round, Light Purplish Pink, ClarityL11
No Treatments noted
Hallmarks HND 750
Handmade Australian likely 1920s
Valued $ 8,860.00