Dreicer & Co., New York, “Bishop’s” ring, elaborately detailed Gothic Revival 18K gold ring set with a large round cut “Siberian” amethyst (approx. 55 carats TW), original leather and silk velvet and satin lined box, c.1880
The firm of Dreicer & Co. was one of the top luxury jewelry retailers in America during the first quarter of the 20th century. The firm is believed to have originated as J. Dreicer & Son representing the Parisian firm A. Eknayan and displaying an extensive array of diamond jewelry during the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The emphasis on diamonds at the St. Louis exposition would characterize the firm’s production and resulting strong reputation from about 1910 through the 1920’s. Though it is not clear in what year the firm opened its boutique in New York City at 560 Fifth Avenue, the luxurious jewels in platinum and diamonds as well as pearls within were comparable with Cartier’s luxurious designs. The firm maintained a branch at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. Dreicer & Co. is credited as the first company to introduce in New York many of the latest diamond cuts from Paris. The shop was liquidated in 1923 following the death of Michael Dreicer, the founder’s son, in 1921. Cartier bought Dreicer’s stock of jewels for $2.5 million
Joseph Kutchinsky, London (1914-2000) “Wrapped Cloth” ring in 18K yellow gold with a platinum tapered rectangular form pave set with 37 round diamonds (approx. 8 carats TW) , signed, 1973 (London gold mark small “s” for 1973) (illustrated: Christie’s Twentieth-Century Jewelry, Sally Everitt and David Lancaster (New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2002) p.113.
Neil Lane “Eternity” ring, 15 Asscher cut diamonds (approx. 12 carats TW, G color VS clarity), 216 round diamonds (.64 carats G color VS clarity), signed, c. 2007
Bulgari, Rome, Revivalist “Lion Recumbent” wide bracelet, 18k gold with an elaborate woven edge detail and further decorated with 22 full figure resting lions, signed: BVLGARI, Made in Italy, 18k, original brown leather envelope, c.1940’s
*** The lion motif is modeled after the famous recumbent lions by Antonio Canova (Italy, 1757-1822), made for the monumental tomb of Clement XIII at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome
Marsh & Co. San Francisco, “Paisley” brooch with a blackened steel dramatic outline on an elaborate 18k gold frame and back in the shape of a paisley pave set with full cut round diamonds of (approx. 3.5-4 carats TW), c. 1950’s
G.T. Marsh was established in 1876 in San Francisco, CA as one of the first purveyors of Japanese art and antiques. In the early 30’s Marsh, with the help of his Italian bench jeweler settled on a unique style that will always be indicative of the firm. Instead of using gold or platinum, the jeweler, who was interested in gun-smithing, created a line of jewels using sandblasted steel finished with gun bluing. This resulted in a rich dark mat black finish. Chased or milegrained white gold or platinum offset pearls, jade or diamonds set against the black ground of the steel. Movement also played a part in the design. Hinged pearls or gemstones added yet another distinct element to the work or exceptionally strong contrasting graphics. The use of diamonds on a grander scale with the dramatic outline of a classic paisley form, places this brooch mid-century and at a time when Marsh’s Jewelry boutique was particularly flourishing in the Bay area.
Ettore Sottsass / Cleto Munari Diagonal stripe and pyramid ring, 18K gold architectural with inset onyx stripes on a diagonal, inset with approx. 8 carats TW of pave diamonds, signed: Sottsass (script signature), No. 1, CM (Cleto Munari), a star 1611, VI (all in a lozenge), 750, Cleto Munari, c. 1985
Ettore Sottsass / Cleto Munari ring illustrated in Jewelry By Architects: From the Collection of Cleto Munari by Barbara Radice (Rizzoli, 1988)
French Art Deco Emerald ring set with a very fine cabochon emerald (approx. 3 carats TW) and two old European cushion cut diamonds (3 carats TW) and further set with 12 round cut diamonds all set in 18K gold, signed, c.1920’s
Marcus & Co. Art Nouveau brooch, “Tibula” shaped 18k yellow gold brooch set with three natural pearls, the natural center button pearl approx. 10 mm in diameter (G.I.A. certificate, 3 natural freshwater pearls, weight 24.90 grams, measurement range from 5.46 to 12.26mm), 16 sugarloaf cabochon sapphires, the two large and high dome middle sapphires with a purple hue, 20 pave set round diamonds all surrounded with clear plique-a-jour further trapped with platinum flakes, signed c. 1897
Imperial topaz (26 carats) solitaire ring set in platinum with two elongated baguette diamonds, signed: L and M French maker’s mark in a diamond poincon, French Dog’s head assay mark for platinum, c.1950
French 19th Century light yellow natural color diamond (approx. 2.20 carats TW, G.I.A certificate, 8.05 x 6.90 x 5.05mm, natural diamond) ring set in a fancy 18K yellow gold mounting, signed, numbered 3056, c. 1890
American Art Deco ring (likely by Louis C. Tiffany for Tiffany & Co.) set with a large blue zircon (approx. 64 carats by calculation, 20mm x 20mm x 19mm) set in a fancy platinum mount further set with 14 round cut diamonds, four bullet shaped gold/orange citrines and two kite shaped gold/orange citrines, marked: very deeply stamped letters as a maker’s mark on the inside of the shank, c. 1930
***Top quality gem blue zircons over 10 carats trade at a minimum price of $200 per carat and go up from there depending on the size of the stone and the quality of the color. Blue zircon, the most popular color, is produced by heat treatment of brown zircon. But not all brown zircon will turn blue when heated; only some zircon has the right physical structure for this to occur. This is why most blue zircon comes from certain sources in Cambodia or Burma. Blue zircon is a reasonably hard gem with a Mohs hardness of about 7 to 7.5. Blue zircon has some unique properties that make it very popular with gemstone aficionados. Not only does zircon have outstanding brilliance, but it also has very strong dispersion or fire, the tendency to split white light into the spectral colors. Zircon also has very pronounced birefringence or double refraction, with a wide variance between the two refractive indices. This can be often be observed with the naked eye when you look down through the table of a cut zircon; you will observe facet doubling that makes the facet edges appear blurred.
Neil Lane solitaire “Cognac” orange/brown diamond ring (1.87 carats natural color, GIA certificate) set in a double loop through design all in 18k gold with micro pave work throughout, signed, c.2006
Art Deco Emerald step cut diamond solitaire ring, center cut emerald diamond (3 carats 10.30 x 7.20 x 4.3mm, Clarity VS-1, Color I/J, UGL certificate), with surrounding round brilliant cut diamonds, French cut natural sapphires (approx. 0.60 carats), all set in platinum mounting, c. 1930’s
Edwardian Sugarloaf Fire Opal (approx. 4 carats TW) ring with 32 diamonds set in a milligrain platinum topped 18K yellow gold mounting, marked, c. 1910
French 1950’s “Turban Style” ring, large pearl (G.I.A. certificate, Weight of the pearl: 16 grams, bead cultured pearl, saltwater, drop shape, white color, “Orient” overtone) and fancy diamond ring set with two triangle diamonds (approx. 2 carats TW) and 48 round diamonds (approx. 8 carats TW) all set in platinum, signed
Chanel, Paris “Camellia” 18k yellow gold articulated blossom ring set with 75 round full-cut white diamonds (approx. 1.50 carats TW) and 101 round full-cut yellow diamonds (approx. 1.00 carat TW) and 94 round full-cut demantoid garnets (approx. 1.00 carat TW) all in 24 heart shaped hinged and moveable flower petals with a central cluster of 7 round full-cut diamonds, signed: Chanel in a rectangle, 750 in a cartouche, size: 7 1/4, c. 1980’s
French Art Deco Diamond and sapphire ring, Round rose cut diamond (approx. 3 carats) set with sapphires (approx. 1.5 carats TW) in a platinum mount, signed, c. 1930
French Art Deco ring set with a fine jadeite oval cabochon, faceted and caliber cut onyx, and further set with 18 round diamonds and six square French-cut diamonds all set in a millegrain platinum mount, c. 1920’s
Neil Lane heart shaped natural sapphire solitaire ring, 3.12 carats (GIA certificate, 8.56 x 9.62 x 5.13mm, no heat) with a diamond pave set platinum mounting, signed, c. 2005
American “Retro Ruby” ring set with three square cut natural pink toned rubies (approx. 2 carats TW) in a 14K mounting, marked: RKV maker’s mark, 14K, inscribed with the initials H.R.P.to S.M.P., c.1940
American Arts & Crafts ring, detailed and scrolling 14K gold mount with stylized leaves and blossoms surrounding a large cabochon amethyst (approx. 22+ carats TW), marked, c. 1915
Russian “Crest” ring, double headed eagle on a blue enamel background set with 17 round cut diamonds and multiple single cut diamonds all in a 14K gold mount (56 zolotniks), signed, c. 1905
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