Jewellery, Watches, Antiquities and Objects of Vertu

An Art Deco diamond ring, the central Old European-cut diamond of 4.3 carats, (unmounted weight), between stepped baguette-cut diamond shoulders, white precious metal mounted, (the shank adapted to extending fitting), ring size K (expanding up to O). £12,000-£15,000

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.