Antique 0.50 Carat Rose Cut Diamond Engagement Ring, Silver Topped 10K Gold

Antique rose-cut diamond ring with a crown of little gold teeth ringing a polished silver bezel, and a rose cut of about half a carat at the center. Leafy shoulders in blackened silver hold six small salt-and-pepper diamonds, and a slim rose-toned gold band completes it. In our experience, this is Ottoman-tradition work from the Eastern Mediterranean, made roughly 100 to 140 years ago.

In the Grand Bazaar workshops, the metal framework of a jewel was often the job of a specialist the Ottomans called a sadekâr, and setting the stones was another craft entirely. Here the silver is 940, whiter than sterling, and it keeps the diamonds bright. The 10K gold gives the ring its strength and that warm edge of color.

Rose cuts have a domed crown of triangular facets and no pointed underside, so they glow where a brilliant would glitter. The center stone has a hint of warmth that looks right at home against the gold.

Condition: Very Good

Era: Antique, circa 1885 to 1925 (our estimate)

Origin: Ottoman tradition, Eastern Mediterranean (our attribution)

Metal: 940 silver-topped 10K gold head; 10K gold band (tested)

Center Stone: 1 Diamond, rose cut, approx. 0.50 carat

Side Stones: 6 diamonds, salt & pepper, set within foliate shoulders

Setting: Bezel-set (center diamond)

Dimensions: 12mm head width, approx. 18mm across shoulders, 8mm rise

Band width: 2mm

Ring size: 8

Total weight: 3.92 grams