Edwardian 3.50 Carat Sapphire and Diamond Platinum Ring, Circa 1910

An oval sapphire commands the center of this Edwardian ring, its medium blue deepening toward the edges where the bezel curves light back into the stone. The mount narrows to points at top and bottom in a marquise, or navette, silhouette; a favored shape of the period, built to elongate the hand rather than simply frame a stone. Old European cut diamonds fill the shoulders in two clusters of six, their broad facets and high crowns giving off a softer, warmer flash than a modern round brilliant. Pierced, millegrain-edged galleries run beneath the diamonds, a hallmark of Edwardian platinum work, when jewelers used the metal's strength to cut filigree so fine it reads almost as lace. The result is a ring with real architectural presence on the hand, its geometry doing as much work as its stones. The ring presents in excellent antique condition, with crisp millegrain detail and no visible chips, cracks, or loose stones. Stamped "PLAT," it weighs 6 grams and is currently a size 4.5.