Jewellery, Watches, Antiquities and Objects of Vertu

A solitaire diamond ring, circa 1920s, the Old European-cut diamond in four claw pierced setting, between geometric shoulders, each inset with small pairs of brilliants-cut diamonds, with further baguette-cut diamond below, mounted in white precious metal, unmarked, principal diamond 2.51 carats (unmounted weight), ring size M½. £6,000-£8,000

The Old European-cut diamond is the round diamond cut evident between the years 1890-1930, (at this period diamonds were still being hand cut), and a predecessor to the modern round brilliant-cut diamond. Rounded diamonds cut after circa 1935 are called either Transitional cut or Modern round brilliant diamonds. The characteristics of the Old European cut are a larger culet, (the bottom facet of the diamond), a small table, a frosted girdle, the same number of facets as a modern diamond (58), but the facets being larger than modern diamonds.