Great Grandmother's ring with unknown markings...Can anybody help please??

[sylvana]

Hi all,

I recently received a ring that once belonged to my Great Grandmother but I can't seem to find anything out about it! It looks like a rose cut stone in the middle that I think is cut glass as the table of the stone looks rather rough with a frosted effect. It almost looks like there was something else stuck to it in the past?? But I have never seen these kind of markings before and was wondering if anybody is familiar with them? My family were a very affluent bunch from Poland so I think it would have originated from there maybe. Any help would be much appreciated.

I tried taken a photo through the microscope so it is more clear, there is also a small marking that, to me, looks like the bottom half of a 3 that has worn away which I would take to mean the polish 3 for 80% silver.



N.B I am not researching this for the ring's worth as it has sentimental value but would love to know the history. Sadly anyone I could have asked has now passed away.

 

[VRBeauty]

I can't help you with the ring, but I will say that it looks as if the center stone is faceted on the bottom, with no culet... the cut appears to be similar to that used for the modern round brilliant diamonds (and its transitional cut predecessor).

 

[sylvana]

Thanks for the reply VRBeauty. You are right in saying that the stone has no culet. When I look at the tip of the stone it looks like an 8 pointed star. I'm not really clued up on diamond cuts so I don't know what this means haha. It's a beautiful cut though, it's just a shame that the table top is not clear like the rest of the stone, although it does give it an eery glow! I'm trying to figure out if it's glass or another stone other than diamond, so hard to tell!

Thanks again for your comments.

 

[VRBeauty]

A jeweler or even a reputable pawn shop should be able to tell you whether this is glass or a cut stone, just by looking at it. I've also had stones id'ed at a pawn shop, using a refractometer, I think, for less than $50. But most would be able to tell the difference on sight or with a loupe or microscope, and most would do it gladly and for free.

As you know, cut or molded glass "gemstones" were sometimes used in vintage jewelry. And... Poland is right next to the former Czechoslovakia, which was among other things known for its beautiful glass and chrystal beads. But aquamarine, which was also popular in Deco-era jewelry, is another possibility.