Lot 230, Auction 4/3/2026: Georgian to Victorian Gold Ring w/ Blue Glass & Pearls

$1,300.00

In stock

Europe, Late Georgian to Early Victorian period, ca. 1790 to 1840 CE. A quietly theatrical ring, this piece balances intimacy and ornament with the easy confidence of late Georgian taste moving toward the Victorian age. The design centers on an oval blue glass cabochon, its surface softly domed and darkly luminous, shifting from inky cobalt to midnight violet as it catches the light. The cabochon is framed by a delicate halo of petite pearl beads, individually set to form a scalloped border that adds texture and gentle movement. This pearl surround reflects the era’s fascination with classical revival forms and sentimental jewelry, where pearls symbolized purity, affection, and remembrance. The setting rises slightly above the finger, lending presence without excess. Size: 1.1″ L x 0.8″ W (2.8 cm x 2 cm); weight: 7.8 grams; US ring size: 4

The gold shank is formed as a twisted or rope-style band, a motif that adds both visual rhythm and structural strength. This braided effect was favored in the late 18th and early 19th centuries for its classical associations and its suggestion of continuity and unity. The interior shows hand-finished irregularities consistent with period craftsmanship rather than later industrial production.

Blue glass cabochons of this type were widely used in Georgian and early Victorian jewelry as elegant stand-ins for sapphire, prized for their saturated color and smooth polish. Combined with pearls and warm-toned gold, the effect is refined, wearable, and unmistakably of its time. This ring would have been equally at home as a sentimental token, a fashionable accessory, or a modest display of taste and means during a period that prized quiet symbolism over overt display.

Condition: Abrasions to glass and some slight bending to band of ring with minor indentations to verso of bezel. Otherwise, intact, excellent, and wearable with lovely iridescence to pearls.

Provenance: ex-T.F. Holy Lands collection, formed since the 1960s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

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