A Beautiful Art Nouveau Ring with an Australian Solid Opal Set in Gold and Platinum, c. 1910

Beyond the Rainbow

A Beautiful Art Nouveau Ring with an Australian Solid Opal Set in Gold and Platinum, c. 1910

€ 2,690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”—somewhere beyond the rainbow—lies the land that is home to one of the world’s most fascinating gemstones. To this day, its inhabitants affectionately call Australia “Oz,” just like the fairy-tale realm from *The Wizard of Oz*, from which the famous song originates. Hardly any other place could seem more fitting to produce a gemstone that embodies the entire play of colours found in a rainbow. As early as the late Victorian era, Australian opals began arriving in Britain on a large scale. Within a few years, they became the most sought-after gemstones of their time and adorned countless pieces of jewellery from the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. Art Nouveau designers, in particular, were captivated by the Australian opal. With its vibrant play of colours, it perfectly matched the era’s preference for extraordinary natural materials and mysterious light effects. This ring is a wonderful example of that. Its centerpiece is an oval-cut cabochon of Australian opal weighing approximately 6.80 carats, set in a simple fine-gold bezel. Against its delicate milky-blue base color, a lively play of colours—green, yellow, blue, and brilliant red reflections—unfolds with every movement, dancing across the surface with extraordinary intensity. The gently curved ring face is openworked with fine shadow joints, lending the design a remarkable lightness. Set in its four corners are antique diamonds that are significantly older than the ring itself and have been repurposed here. The delicately tiered ring shoulders already foreshadow the clean lines of the later Art Deco style and transition harmoniously into the narrow ring band of reddish gold. We discovered this ring here in Berlin and had the original Australian opal carefully repolished. Today, it once again shines with that fascinating play of colours that likely captivated its first admirers more than a century ago.

Size & Details

Beyond the Rainbow

€ 2,690.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

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Beyond the Rainbow

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