Art Deco Ring Project

[Divad]

A couple years ago a pair of antique platinum and diamond Art Deco rings were handed down. There was, however, a catch. Maybe you can spot it?


More like several catches! We think the original owner had the two rings soldered together. Many years later, a resize went horribly wrong and the funky combined shank was stretched and broken. Finally, the central diamonds were yanked out so they could be stuck into a pretty cool gold nugget to make an appalling ring (hey, it was the 1970's...).

What was left was kind of a mess... and yet! There was tons of potential, so we decided to have them separated, repaired, and have some new stones set in them. Reusing the old stones seemed both a risk and a missed opportunity, so instead we went with sapphires.

The rings are now done. Pics soon!

 

[Divad]

First up, the nicer of the original rings was set with a silky, cool pink sapphire from Uli/Osiris Gems. The stone is from Mahenge, Tanzania, 5.4 x 3.7 mm, 0.76 cts., silky, unheated, in his heptagonal Tudor´s Kaleidoskop design. We're thrilled with how it turned out.

 

[Divad]

Next up, our jeweler sourced a selection of tiny blue sapphires for the other ring and we picked out our favorites. The center stone is 3.7mm and the two sides are 2.3mm.





It's pictured with a third Art Deco hand-me-down. That needed a bunch of repairs but it still had its original diamond, thank goodness, because it's a stunner.

Anyway, we hope you got a kick out out of our project. Let us know if you have any questions.

 

[boerumbiddy]

Wow! "Waste not, want not," indeed! I am so glad you were able to rescue these unique settings. Modern workmanship comes close but never duplicates. This project also provides an answer to the question of what to do with Uli's unique gem shapes.
(I always hate it on TV decorating shows when they take, say, beautiful old postage stamps or sheet music covers and cut them up to decoupage a waste basket.)

 

[movie zombie]

sweet!
and I really love that sleepy sapphire!
it really pops in that setting!
and I don't like pink but i'd wear that one!

 

[Indylady]

Gorgeous!! I love both rings. Very pretty.

 

[pregcurious]

Great job!

 

[Starzin]

Lovely rescue of both rings which are eminently wearable because they are gorgeous - and I'm definitely with MoZo on that silky sapphire! Very, very pretty rings

Edit for mistake .

 

[chrono]

It is great to see family heirloom pieces "saved" and loved again. Great restoration work.

 

[deskjockey]

That's pretty amazing, and I LOVE that pink sapphire, it almost doesn't look real! (in a good way!)

 

[JewelFreak]

Great reno job on such nice old settings. I admire your ingenuity & determination, when a lot of people would've thrown them in the back of a drawer for the next 100 years. They came out very nice!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Well done! Luv 'em!

cheers--Sharon

 

[minousbijoux]

I'm always curious about the story behind it. In this case, I really wonder what caused them to solder them together in the first place? Were they an engagement ring and a wedding ring? Maybe promise and engagement rings? Because joined together, they sure made a substantial ring!

 

[pandabee]

I really like the silky sapphire! You did a great job recycling the old settings.

 

[velouriaL]

Great job!

I wonder too why they were soldered together. Do you ever stack em? Quite a knuckle duster!

 

[pregcurious]

Very pretty and impressive. Some of us take years here to get a ring together.

 

[Divad]

Thanks for the kind words! After literally forty years in jewelry boxes, it's nice to be able to take them out and wear them.

We don't know for sure what the original owner of the rings was thinking. They are indeed an engagement ring and wedding band. Googling a bit suggests that sometimes people still solder rings together to keep them from rubbing and/or to keep them aligned to each other... and to ensure that if you lose one, you lose both!

We do know what the previous generation was thinking when they yanked out the diamonds in the 70's: the then fifty-year-old-rings looked "old fashioned." At least they had the good sense to save them!

 

[velouriaL]

It's so sad that people take apart beautiful old rings, but I guess it is hard to see the beauty in the old-but-not-yet-vintage. Will our granddaughters mourn the 80s and 90s jewelry? will they prefer the original setting that marquise was in to the bezel/halo/East-West reset?