Comments for Golden ring, 22.6 carat and rock crystal

Comments for Golden ring, 22.6 carat and rock crystal - hallmark VS.

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Rock crystal - rose cut? 9 and 10 cuts.
by: Anonymous

Dear Marcia,

Another important issue is that it is not for sure that the rock crystal is rose cut, because two stones has 9 and the other one 10 cuts.

Best regards,
Sandra

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Golden ring...
by: Anonymous

Dear Marcia,

Thank you for the comment and the explanation of the rock crystal. I know that the rose cut is started at 1580.

I have found the ring between two old castles with a long and rich history in the South of the Netherlands. The distance between these castles were 1.8 miles. The other finds were also a corpus of the 16e Century.

About the hallmark, it is a strange hallmark because there is only one (not two or three) and it is on the outside. It could be from a goldsmith from one of the castles. The familie who lives in the castle where very rich and had a high standard. I know the names of these families but I cannot say the name otherwise everybody will search in that area.

Best regards,
Sandra

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Quartz Crystal in Jewelry History
by: Marcia

Hi Sandra

what a beautiful old ring. Could you please tell us more about the background history of this ring? I would love to learn more about it. My family and I collect quartz crystal objects of personal adornments. And you are absolutely correct in saying that quartz has been used since the beginning of the decorative arts. Colorless quartz has been carved since medieval Egypt, Iraq and Persia in fact, and was very highly prized during the Renaissance period.

You see the rose cut was introduced around 1610 and since the rose cut released more light than the earlier cuts, the predominance of diamond in jewelry dates from around this time. The rose cut was applied also to quartz crystal in the 17th century (which is 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness) and quite hard compared to other gems and it being colorless could imitate the diamond.

Thank you for sharing your treasure with us!

Good Luck

Marcia

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Rock crystal? Hallmark VS? and age?
by: Anonymous

Dear Yvonne,

If you look at the history, rock crystal was used from the 14th Century or even older, also you can find rings from the 3th Century A.D with rock crystal and they imitated the look of a diamond (search on internet).

The experts here in the Netherlands are also saying that the ring is from the 16th and/or 17th Century with the hallmark VS and not SV. They were using hallmarks in that time.

Also in the 20th Century they are not using 23 carat of gold but lower...

Best Regards,
Sandra

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Countries Manufacturing Marks
by: Judith

In many countries with a long standing tradition of mandatory hallmarking, maker's marks had to be unique and copies of these marks were well kept in the archives of the guilds.

Usually these stamps carried the initials of the maker accompanied by a pictorial mark in a specific contour. Sometimes regulations required the contour to be a specific shape, like the lozenge shape that is mandatory for French maker's marks from 1797 onwards.

Only in 1961 were these marks made mandatory in the USA and they can be in the form of a registered trademark or the name of the maker/firm in full. A ring has a very restricted area on which to stike a mark so most times the name of the maker in full does not appear.

Judith Hermandez

http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Hallmarks_on_Period_Jewelry

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Antique Gold Ring - Rock Crystal
by: Anonymous

Sandra,
If you look closely at the initials - the initial S overlaps over the top of the letter V. The gold work around the three stone setting is too developed to be a late medieval or even a later renaissance ring. Rock crystal was used for Papal rings in the late medieval period and this ring is definitely not in this category.

Love and marriage rings in the later medieval often bear symbols and inscriptions expressing sentiment. The band on your ring, ( except for makers mark) is plain. Usually hoops were inscribed with mottoes, either hidden inside or visible on the exterior, known as "posies" meaning, "little poems". The only typography on your ring is a makers mark. Makers marks as far as i know do not appear on late medieval or renaissance rings.

Small stones grouped together, some bezel set appeared in the 17th century. Are the crystals rose cut? Rose cut was imitated in crystal in the 17th century; it was appropriately hard and transparent. Rock crystal mined in the cliffs of a river gorge near Bristol in England were known as "Bristows" and were used not only for rings but whole suites of Jewellery.

If it were an authentic 17th century ring and not in the neo-classical style, it is still quite unusal to have the maker's mark.

Through the modern history of jewelry there have been medieval and archaeological revivals.

Sandra this ring is a very beautiful antique gold ring but just how "antique" is the question. Please keep us updated with your findings.

Best Regards
Yvonne

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Hallmark SV instead of VS?
by: Sandra

Dear Yvonne,

Thank you for the comment. You are saying SV instead of VS, I don't understand it. Nobody can find this hallmark. I have also send these week pictures to the musea of the Netherlands (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) and probably the ring is from 1580-1620 and also a specialist here in the Netherlands said the same. Probably the printing plates are gone of the ring and the hallmark will never be found. But thank you for the time that you have spend on my ring.

Best regards,
Sandra

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Overlapping SV Initials
by: Anonymous

Good Afternoon Sandra!
What a gorgeous antique gold ring! I am thinking that letter S could infact be overlapping over the top of the letter V so it could be SV - US jewellery manufacturers:
Scofield & De Wyngaert - F. P. Scofield & Co. (Manfacturing Jewelers and Silversmith, also Gold work, Newark, NJ, USA) ca 1904 - 1930s.

Best Regards
Yvonne Hammouda-Eyre

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