Art Deco Sapphire Cluster Ring

A superb antique early 20th century sapphire ring, circa 1920. It was made in the Netherlands and was crafted in 18K gold with platinum-set diamonds.

The octagonal shaped step-cut verneuil sapphire is displays a superb royal blue colour with excellent clarity. The lab-grown ‘verneuil’ sapphire weighs approximately 4cts.

The word ‘verneuil’ comes from the Parisian chemist Auguste Verneuil who developed the flame fusion process to create synthetic sapphires in 1909. During the period in which this ring was made, lab-grown sapphires were a relatively new phenomenon, and only recently made available commercially. Therefore this ring was somewhat of a novelty in its day, not to mention that in this period lab sapphires cost more than their mined counterparts!

The sapphire is surrounded by a halo of rose cut diamonds in platinum millegrain settings. The underside of the bezel features a decorative gallery and an open-back.

All of the stones are in open-backed settings which allows light to pass through the stones and enables easy cleaning of the ring. The low profile of ring, as well as the benefits of the open-back setting, would make this an excellent antique engagement ring. It is is crafted in 18K yellow gold and weighs a total of 3.6 grams.

UK size Q, US size 8.25

The ring is stamped with a mark for 18K gold with the makers mark ‘MS’. The ring tests as 18K gold. The bezel measures 16mm x 13mm. Diamonds have a diameter of 1.5mm whilst the sapphire measures 11mm x 8mm x 4.5mm.