Antique diamond ring setting question

[silverlvr]

My Aunt inherited an absolutely beautiful antique ring set with 7 diamonds clustered together. She was told it was a "Marguerite" ring(the name of the setting style) and the stones are set in such a way that they are very tight together but with no beads between but a very tiny line of white gold -almost lke grouting between and around each stone. From the side, the stones are set equal in height, none protrude higher than the others and form a very slight upward curve that''s very smooth looking. There are no prongs sticking up anywhere to impede the view of the stones, just these mysterious white gold "grout"lines that are flush with the tables of the diamonds. From the top, the outside perimeter of the ring is very smooth and there is no "scalloped" look to the outsides of the stones. They are very compacted together and from even a slight distance, the ring looks like a huge solitaire.

Has anyone ever heard of this style and seen any pictures of it? I will try to get her to send a few photos (that may take a while) but I would be interested in more information on this style.

I cannot seem to pull up anything when I''m searching the web so I thought I might find someone here who knows...

 

[surfgirl]

What you describe sounds like bezel set stones. If the "grouting", as you call it, has tiny dots on it, then that''s bezel set with millegrain. If you look up bezel sets you should see something similar.

 

[silverlvr]

Marguerite cluster

this is the only photo so far that I''ve been able to come up with to show what I mean.

The cluster in the centre of the ring doesn''t have bezels and there are no beads or milgraining either, just a teeny ribbon of metal loosely wrapped around each stone.

If you can possibly enlarge the picture(i couldn''t) you might be able to see it.

 

[Hest88]

Sounds like "invisible set"--though I''ve only seen them with princess cuts.

 

[surfgirl]

The photo you show has shared prongs holding the stones together, and the bezel going around the outside - it''s not clear if that is holding in any stones or if it''s decoration.

 

[Gypsy]

I don''t know if this is helpful, but I believe that "Marguerite" means Daisy in French. Does your grandmother''s setting look like a daisy flower? If it does it could just mean a daisy flower design ring... and not an actual setting technique. Does that make sense?

 

[chrono]

The picture you posted shows a shared prong setting for diamonds set in a flower-like cluster. There is a decorative metal going around the outside of the cluster.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Exactly. "Marguerite" is the style of the ring, the diamonds are held in by shared prongs with the background plate in which the diamonds are seated giving the impression of metal around the diamonds.

At least that''s what''s going on in the photo shown.

 

[silverlvr]

i''ve asked her to send close up photos so when they get here, i''ll post them. I''m no good at explaining what I''m seeing so it will have to wait a little while.