General Information:
- US Size: 5.50 (likely difficult to resize due to the rarity of the 800 silver content, which is not widely used by jewelers today)
- Total Carat Weight: 5.17 ct
- Total Precious Metal Weight: ~0.0964522 ozt
- Precious Metal Material: 800 silver (stamped); colloquially known as “coin silver”
- Dimensions: face is 15.65 mm north to south; ~7.75 mm rise from the finger (depth) at the highest point on the face (coral cabochon); band is consistently 1.90 mm north to south x 1.00 rise/depth all the way around
- Weight: A nice and comfortable 3.40 grams
- Markings: 800
- Era: As explained in historical detail in the written description, this ring’s coral center stone choice, 800 silver purity mounting, and the stylistic details present lead us to estimate its origins to date to the 1870s-1880s.
- Buyer Notes: This ring is a great example of refined Neo-Gothic design, which has history reaching as far back as the 14th century. This statement ring is a desirable and economical collector’s item, with a confident appeal to rational geometries and the ideology of purified design. Please read the description for more on this added historic value to this piece.
Specifications:
- Center Stone Type: Natural coral
- Center Stone Count: One (1)
- Center Stone Dimensions: 12.35 x 9.80 x 5.90 mm (measured in mount so as to preserve the integrity of the ring)
- Center Stone Carat Weight: Estimated by formula using the specific gravity of natural coral 5.17 ct
- Center Stone Shape: Oval Cabochon
- Center Stone Color: Red-orange with consistent color throughout (not salmon which is peachy-orange, not angel skin which is pale orange to pale pink, and not oxblood red which is a true cherry red)
- Center Stone Clarity: Vitreous, waxy luster
The Story:
Created by hand during the last quarter of the 19th century, this unique Victorian ring features an oval cabochon coral stone mounted within an 800 silver setting. Though perfectly simple, this piece is just as timeless, and remains as chic as the day it was first made a century and a half ago. Coral can no longer be harvested and is rightly protected, so antique coral jewelry bears inherent value on the market which makes it very desirable to collect. When paired with the rather unusual coin silver setting, the piece’s bespoke nature truly shines.
The mounting exhibits a Neo-Gothic (or Gothic Revival) aesthetic, in which the tedious prong surround is designed to recall the inverses of the pointed arches of Gothic architecture. Gothicism first grew to dominate the architectural scene during the 1300s-1500s, and was first revived in the late 1700s, emerged in the philosophical realm by the 1820s, with the rise of Pugin’s association of Gothicism to a purer and more truth-centered society. By the mid-1800s in tandem with the surge of Romanticism, the philosophic aesthetic was at its peak, in part thanks to Ruskin’s echoed affirmations of the style’s principles and perceived rationality. Thus, Gothicism and its revival have deep roots in ecclesiastical and religious settings, in collegiate and academia settings and in libraries-- all considered honorable, enlightened, and prudent.
It is possible that this coral piece was purchased by a young traveler while on their excursions along the Mediterranean during their Grand Tour. Such a practice was quite common, as it allowed consumers to invest in precious souvenirs with the intention to have them set by jewelers once back home. Oftentimes, carved shell and stone cameos, as well as carved coral findings were purchased loose and later mounted however one so desired. It could very well be that this coral cabochon was purchased directly from an Italian artisan sometime during the mid to late 1800s, brought back home and set in silver. The silver alloy used in this piece is a clue to its origins as well, as coin silver was a common choice in both America and Germany for a particular stint between the 1860s and 1880s.
An elegant example of the Gothic aesthetic and bearing allusions to its storied past, this Victorian coral ring continues today as a wearable relic of a notable period in architectural and philosophical history. Its provenance can only be surmised, but it is this very mystery that makes it so wonderfully captivating. With hefty scale and alluring color, this coral ring is a true collectible heirloom.
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