Ring Description – 18K Gold, Opal Cabochon, and Rose-Cut Diamonds

This ring is a distinctive piece of jewelry, crafted from 18-carat yellow gold (750/1000), featuring an imposing oval head centered around a natural opal cabochon. The opal displays a beautiful play of internal colors – iridescent flashes ranging from green to red, characteristic of noble opals most likely from Australia. It is set in a bezel setting on a plate surrounded by rose-cut diamonds, within a slightly domed pavé halo.

Rose-cut diamonds are antique stones, cut using a technique dating back to the 17th century, with a flat base and a crown of triangular facets, lending a soft, diffused brilliance very different from modern cuts. This choice of cut, combined with the two-tone mounting (yellow gold for the band, likely silver or old white gold for the head), confirms the antique typology of the ring.

The ring's shank is adorned with stylized openwork decoration on the shoulders, which seamlessly extends the line of the halo, enhancing the craftsmanship of the jewel. This type of finish is typical of rings from the transition period between the late Victorian era (around 1880-1900) and the beginning of the Edwardian style (around 1900–1915), a period when colored stones (like opals) were fashionable among high society.

Style and Era:

• Estimated Period: Late 19th century – circa 1880 to 1900

• Style:

  • Late Victorian / Early Edwardian

  • Romantic elegance with a naturalistic and precious influence, typical of sentimental jewelry from this period

  • Mixed use of metals (yellow gold and silver or antique white gold) and antique stones

Technical Specifications:

• Metal: 18K Yellow Gold (750/1000) – head likely in silver or antique white gold

• Center Stone: Noble opal – oval cabochon – multi-color play of colors

• Secondary Stones: Natural diamonds – rose cut – set in a halo

• Setting: Bezel setting for the opal, grain or bezel for the diamonds

• Workmanship: Antique jewelry, handmade