Art nouveau moonstone ring

[glitterata]

I recently bought a few more antique pieces & I promised Jewelerman I would post them, so here goes.

This one is a silver moonstone ring. I believe it''s from the 1900-1910 period, at the intersection of Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts. It''s graceful and well made, with gorgeous old transparent moonstones that show an amazing blue flash at the right angle.

It''s a big ring and would look much better on someone with long, tapering fingers rather than my stubby little paws, but I don''t care, I love it and am going to wear it anyway.

 

[glitterata]

Hand shot:

 

[glitterata]

Back. The ring is unmarked, but well made.

Jewelerman (or anyone else), I would love your thoughts about where & when this might have been made. Is my guess--first decade of the 20th century--correct? Is it American?

 

[glitterata]

Side view. I love the little loop of silver along the side and the little silver balls in between the stones.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

It''s lovely! And certainly unique and stunning

 

[T L]

Glitterata,
I''m not an antique expert, and I hope you don''t take this the wrong way, but it looks like a modern piece (since you asked). I could very well be wrong, but I do not recall anything like that from that period in time looking like that, and I''m familiar with Art Nouveau and the Arts & Crafts moviement. However, I have seen that design quite frequently in modern jewelry, in particular from Thailand, India and Indonesia. In any case, whatever the time periiod, they''re very nice moonstones, and I hope you enjoy it.

 

[glitterata]

Tourmalinelover,

Thank you--of course I wouldn''t take that the wrong way!

I have seen--and own--moonstone pieces from Asia, but they''re all much flimsier than this one, made of lower quality silver. And the recent ones don''t use real moonstone, they use labradorite (rainbow moonstone). These are very nice blue moonstones. This piece is much more like the Georg Jensen moonstone pieces I''ve seen (and own) than like the Asian ones.

But of course I could be wrong. Any other opinions? Please don''t worry about hurting my feelings!

 

[T L]

Date: 7/27/2009 6:01:08 PM
Author: glitterata
Tourmalinelover,

Thank you--of course I wouldn''t take that the wrong way!

I have seen--and own--moonstone pieces from Asia, but they''re all much flimsier than this one, made of lower quality silver. And the recent ones don''t use real moonstone, they use labradorite (rainbow moonstone). These are very nice blue moonstones. This piece is much more like the Georg Jensen moonstone pieces I''ve seen (and own) than like the Asian ones.

But of course I could be wrong. Any other opinions? Please don''t worry about hurting my feelings!

Thanks Glitterata,
I did not know that about those Georg Jensen pieces. You always learn something new everyday on PS..

 

[glitterata]

Hm, now I''m wondering whether my ring might be from the 1930s or 40s rather than the teens.

Yoo hoo! Jewelerman! OldManCoyote! Opinions?

 

[Circe]

I would guess Arts & Crafts inspired rather than Art Nouveau, and I''d probably peg it as being a later piece rather than an earlier one - say, 40s rather than 20s. It''s a really lovely piece! I adore moonstones - such elegant, subtle stones.

 

[glitterata]

Thanks, Circe. I bet you''re right.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Completely off topic, but I came accross this pendant and thought of you, Glitterata. It also happens to remind me of one of the first pieces of antigue jewelry I fell in love with: a deep purple amethyst in a canetille brooche setting (from my first antigue jewelry book - a lot of beautiful but tiny pictures). I think canetille settings are so interesting!

 

[UCLABelle]

So cool!

 

[glitterata]

Thank you, UCLABelle!

Very pretty, Lady Disdain. (Is your name Beatrice, like in Shakespeare?) I love cannetille. I don''t have any, but someday...

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Beatriz, actually. And I have the same acid tongue as well...

 

[glitterata]

Ha! I love that play, and that character, and your screen name.

 

[Harriet]

Ooh. May I try it on the next time we hang out?

 

[glitterata]

Absolutely! But it will fall off your dainty fingers. It's even a little big on my plump paws. I think it's a size 8 1/2.

Hey, by the way, I'm going to be sending my S I1 Infinity off to Julia Taylor to be set soon, so if you want to see it before its hearts are hidden in a setting, we should meet for that cupcake soon.

 

[Catmom]

It''s very pretty. I love the blue glow! You always find the best pieces!

 

[LGK]

It does remind me a lot of Georg Jensen''s work. Flying by the seat of my pants, I''d guess perhaps European/English. Moonstone was pretty popular 1900-1010, and that design is very Arts & Crafts style (though I doubt I''m telling you anything you don''t know already). And yeah, it also reminds me of modern pieces, very much like a neclace I got in Morocco in fact. But, I suspect you have experience with repros and could tell from the feel and workmanship if it was modern- and it does look old in your pics to me, as much as you can judge without holding a piece- so, I''d guess it''s turn of the century European.

However, if it doesn''t have a hallmark and you know it''s sterling, that might more likely indicate American- if I''m remembering right (and I might not be, my brain melted, it''s about 110 degrees at work right now) it wasn''t actually *law* that sterling had to be hallmarked in America until the 1920s, but in Europe sterling had to be marked long before that.

I''ll be curious to see what Jewelerman says.

 

[glitterata]

Thank you, Michelle & Kitten!

I''m certain this ring is silver, but I haven''t tested it and can''t tell .925 silver from, say, .900 just by look and feel (I''m not sure whether anyone can). The seller said it was sterling. I looked hard for a hallmark and didn''t find one, but there''s a spot where the ring''s been sized, so it''s possible there was a hallmark that''s now gone. The lack of a hallmark is what makes me think it''s American; also, the seller is in Massachusetts, not that that really means anything.

It''s very heavy and well made and has some wear to it. If it''s a recent repro, it''s a really, really good one that someone wore a lot.

I wish I had longer fingers--it would look better on someone with long fingers. Maybe if I tell a lot of lies they''ll grow?

By the way, Little Gray, did you see that I bought a platinum deco watch inspired by your collection?

 

[glitterata]

Here's my new moonstone ring along with a moonstone necklace and a moonstone piece that I think is probably part of a Mexican bracelet from the 1940s.

I don't know how clear it is in the picture, but although the necklace and the ring are generally similar in design--both have daisy-shaped moonstone clusters as elements--they're very different in workmanship. I believe the necklace is one of the newer Asian pieces, maybe from India? The silver is a low quality alloy that turns my neck green, and the settings are prong set and not well finished. The moonstones are nice, but not nearly as nice as the ones in the ring. The bracelet piece is heavier, of better quality silver, and cast. But the ring is very well made, and wrought rather than cast.

All this might not mean much beyond just that the ring is well made and the necklace isn't. Still, it does make me suspect the ring may be older and American or European.

 

[glitterata]

And just for completeness, here''s my Jensen moonstone ring. It has the 1933-44 mark, I believe.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 7/28/2009 9:53:51 PM
Author: glitterata
Absolutely! But it will fall off your dainty fingers. It''s even a little big on my plump paws. I think it''s a size 8 1/2.

Hey, by the way, I''m going to be sending my S I1 Infinity off to Julia Taylor to be set soon, so if you want to see it before its hearts are hidden in a setting, we should meet for that cupcake soon.

I was thinking of heading your way tomorrow or on Friday. I bought a new moonstone today, inspired by you.

 

[glitterata]

Congrats on the moonstone, Harriet, I can't wait to see it!

 

[glitterata]

Yoo hoo, Jewelerman! I know you''re out there...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/29/2009 5:46:58 PM
Author: glitterata
Here''s my new moonstone ring along with a moonstone necklace and a moonstone piece that I think is probably part of a Mexican bracelet from the 1940s.

I don''t know how clear it is in the picture, but although the necklace and the ring are generally similar in design--both have daisy-shaped moonstone clusters as elements--they''re very different in workmanship. I believe the necklace is one of the newer Asian pieces, maybe from India? The silver is a low quality alloy that turns my neck green, and the settings are prong set and not well finished. The moonstones are nice, but not nearly as nice as the ones in the ring. The bracelet piece is heavier, of better quality silver, and cast. But the ring is very well made, and wrought rather than cast.

All this might not mean much beyond just that the ring is well made and the necklace isn''t. Still, it does make me suspect the ring may be older and American or European.

ooh, I absolutely love your necklace. . .it''s too bad about it turning your neck green. lol I heard that you can paint the parts of metal that have contact with your skin with clear nail polish and that''ll protect from the green effect. Not sure if you''d want to do that . . .

Your pictures have compelled me to check ebay for fun moonstone stuff.

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 7/27/2009 2:07:20 PM
Author:glitterata
I recently bought a few more antique pieces & I promised Jewelerman I would post them, so here goes.

This one is a silver moonstone ring. I believe it''s from the 1900-1910 period, at the intersection of Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts. It''s graceful and well made, with gorgeous old transparent moonstones that show an amazing blue flash at the right angle.

It''s a big ring and would look much better on someone with long, tapering fingers rather than my stubby little paws, but I don''t care, I love it and am going to wear it anyway.

Glitter,
So sorry it took so long to post on this wonderful ring!I appreciate the interest in an opinion(you know you will get one!

)This piece is one that at first blush has arts and crafts written all over it!It is hand made and in my opinion is nice quality and an older ring.I can easily see why people speculate that its made in Thialand or a simular county know for work in silver and feldspar(moonstones).The ring could be American.I hesitate to think english because of lack of hallmarks. The elemants of manufacture have been used for decades so dating it this way is more difficult.The decades of possibility for me are mid-Art Nouveau(1910ish)1940s with the renewed interest of this style jewelry, and the early 1970s when again this style would be again in demand.One thing that bothers me for some reason is the silver beads place between each outside stone...Dosnt seem true to form for Art Noueau, bit more ethic in design.The ring is so intresting to me and regardless of its true age, a real conversation starter!Im glad that G.Jensen was brought into the conversation.His work is truely underrated!I think this ring would be very cool mixed with yellow gold and old silver pieces!

 

[glitterata]

Thank you for weighing in, Jewelerman. Sorry to tug at your sleeve, but you know it''s just because I value your opinion so much!

I think this ring is going to continue to be mysterious. You''ve identified the various widespread times and places when/where it might have been made. I guess I''ll have to accept loving the ring without knowing for sure.

 

[glitterata]

Yay, mystery solved! My ring is American and was made in the 1970s. A jewelry-seller friend recognized it--she has the same ring, with garnets around the moonstone. Her mom bought it new for her in the 70s. Her sister had one too, but it got chewed by a puppy.