Elegant Platinum Ring with Ceylon Sapphire & Diamonds, France c. 1925

Sapphires come in an infinite abundance of delicate shades of blue. On the one hand, there is the deep, velvety blue of Kashmir sapphires, reminiscent of cornflowers - and on the other side of the spectrum, the light sky blue for which the sapphires from Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, are famous. King Solomon is said to have wooed the legendary Queen of Sheba with sapphires from the area around Rathnapura, which means "city of precious stones" in Sinhalese. However, the variety is not limited to these two poles: all shades in between can be found, as well as even darker or lighter tones. The wonderful 1920s ring presented here sets a natural sapphire in the color for which sapphires from Ceylon have become proverbial. It is a warm, light blue, reminiscent of the sky on a bright summer's day. This is a particularly high-quality sapphire, it is very transparent, without major inclusions, homogeneously blue and also untreated, i.e. not heated or otherwise enhanced by humans. Two independent expert opinions have confirmed its quality and origin from Sri Lanka. The oval-cut, faceted sapphire is set in a circular frame, which is set at a slight distance in a frame of old-cut diamonds of very high clarity. This trick creates an elegant interplay of shadow and light; it is the love of Art Deco geometry that defines the design here. The ring itself is made of platinum. It was created in France, as a platinum hallmark in the shape of a wolf's head is stamped on the outside of its ring band. It came to us from Paris.

Estimate:£8,477.31

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