Photo Credit: Authentic Jewelry and Coin
Old Mine Cut Edwardian Diamond Ring, Circa 1905
Buy It Now Price: $1,079.99 (price as of 2019; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This Edwardian diamond ring exudes Gilded era elegance with 9 sparkling old mine cut diamonds mounted in an 18 karat gold checkerboard setting.
-The face of this luscious antique ring measures 12.4 mm (0.49 inches) tall by 11.7 mm (0.46 inches) wide. The entire ring weighs a substantial 4.22 grams (0.1356 troy ounces), which is quite a lot for a ring this size.
–Old mine cut diamonds were a cushion-shaped diamond cut popular from the early 19th century until around 1910. They were defined by high crowns, deep pavilions, and large culets. These unique proportions endowed old mine cut diamonds with a dazzling fire and charming warmth that simply can’t be found in modern brilliant cut diamonds.
-The seller estimates the average weight of each H-I color, VVS2-VS1 clarity diamond in the ring to be around 0.18 carats, for a grand total carat weight of 1.62. From the measurements of the ring given, I have conservatively calculated that the diamonds weigh between 0.10 and 0.20 carats each, for a total guesstimated weight of 1.35 carats. This discrepancy (1.35 carats versus 1.62 carats) is minor, but underscores the fact that the stated carat weight of a mounted stone is always an approximation.
–The Edwardian period was wedged in-between the death of Queen Victoria around the year 1900 and the start of World War I in 1914. Although it didn’t persist for very long, the Edwardian era was famous for its glorification of wealth, luxury and the aristocracy – think Downton Abbey.
-I estimate the melt value of the gold in this Edwardian diamond ring to be around $170 (with the spot price of gold at $1,335 an ounce.) While the old mine cut diamonds are harder to value, I think they should be worth at least $500 a carat (on a bad day) for a total value of $675.
-This Edwardian diamond ring is in great condition, with no excessive wear, damage or obvious repairs. In addition, it features superb goldwork with no messy solder or other distractions – an incredibly unusual situation for a ring that is over a century old.
-Totaling the value of the ring’s gold and diamonds gives an aggregate intrinsic value of nearly $850. This is only $230 off the asking price, which is a pleasant surprise. It is rare to find quality antique jewelry selling for anywhere close to its intrinsic value these days.
-The ring’s gold grid pattern conveys a sense of solidity while the old mine cut diamonds allow it to retain that characteristic Edwardian feeling of etherealness. This might seem like a contradiction, but this antique ring manages to pull it off brilliantly nonetheless.
–Edwardian jewelry is becoming increasingly scarce and desirable as the years pass, setting the stage for an inevitable upward readjustment in value.
-At an asking price of less than $1,100, this Edwardian diamond ring would be a great choice for the antique collector, investor or jewelry buff. I cannot stress how rare it is to find such a superb piece of antique jewelry for such a low price.
Cons:
-This Edwardian diamond ring is set exclusively with melee stones. These are defined as faceted diamonds weighing less than 0.20 carats (or 20 points) each. Melee diamonds are primarily used as accent pieces in modern jewelry because they cost less per carat than larger diamonds. I don’t think the primary motivation for using melee diamonds in this wonderful old ring was monetary, but aesthetic. However, the fact remains that melee diamonds (even old mine cut melee diamonds) are worth less per carat than their larger, non-melee equivalents.
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