Jewelry Round-Up - Rings

Every once in a while, I like to look through pages of jewelry items I can't afford but would love to own. There are so many vintage styles that I adore, but also a handful of modern looks.

When I was in the jewelry business, I did a lot of appraisals. Some folks jewelry was pretty ordinary, but once in a while I'd get a batch of really gorgeous things to ogle as I was measuring and estimating. There was one diamond cluster ring in particular that took my breath away. The center diamond was over a carat, and it was surrounded by approximately .10 carat smaller round diamonds. It was an old European cut with a larger crown and shallower pavilion, so the setting had a fairly low profile against the top of the finger. It was just stunning. I've found similar rings on the Internet, and this one on the right is a good example.

Lots of the engagement rings available today have a similar feel - large center stone surrounded by many smaller stones - but it's just not the same. Today's rings tend to be far too over-the-top, with diamonds tucked away in weird areas in the gallery, making them hard to clean (because the most important thing to do with a diamond ring is to keep it clean so it is always sparkly and bright). Plus, I think they're all starting to look the same. No offense to those of you who like that sort of thing. I just don't. Give me an old fashioned diamond cluster any day over a modern one, please.

Then there are snake rings. I loooove snake rings for some reason. I own two or three, including a cool Victorian enameled one that's far too big for my scrawny fingers. Here are some others I really like that I've found all over the Web. The third ring in the top row is a favorite, for its daintiness and the very well-done engraving. the double snake in the center of row two is also well done, and the bottom ring on the left side pairs two of my favorite jewelry elements--snakes and opals--into one simple but gorgeous ring. The enameled snake on the bottom right is unusual in that it includes a cluster of pearls to simulate snake eggs. Very cool.

While this Tiffany rose gold bow ring is modern, I find its simple asymmetrical style very attractive.

This Armenta ring, available at Bergdorf's, is pretty cool. The center stone is a reconstituted turquoise and rutilated quartz doublet. In other words, it's a composite gemstone made from two elements. One is a flat disc of blue stone made by compressing scraps of turquoise with binder and dye into a block that can be cut into shape. The other is a cabochon-shaped dome of clear quartz that has needlelike inclusions of a mineral called rutile embedded in it. The two are glued together to make a doublet. (This isn't a new thing. Many opals on the market are doublets.) This sorta-gem is set in 18K yellow gold with .20 carats of diamonds and white sapphires on a sterling silver band that has been oxidized to a deep matte black. I think it's pretty darn cool looking.

Like anything you see here? Leave a comment and we'll discuss!

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