17th Century 18kt Gold and Natural Pearl Fede Chianina Ring - $995 - (Shady Cove, OR)
An early Fede ring made of 18 karat (marked inside the band with a later assay 18k mark) gold and set with wired in natural pearls: 8 encircling a central pearl which is always the pattern of the Fede Chianina Rings that look like a flower pattern.These early rings were gifted by the mother-in-laws to the brides marrying their sons. The eight pearls set in a halo design around the central pearl represented family stability. These rings are usually set in a coarse disk like gold setting but this ring’s setting is actually pretty fine. All of the pearls are drilled and wired in, very typical of the era and for this type of ring.The pearls are absolutely original but do show a little wear so please enlarge the photos for details. The gold is thick and solid with a thick ring band measuring a USA ring size 6 and the jeweled disk measures about 3/4" across the top. This historic jewel is really for the collector of antique jewelry and probably not suitable as a wedding ring due to the delicate nature of the old pearls.It could perhaps use a detailed cleaning but I'm careful with pearls, so I only gently wiped it; only a professional antique jeweler should clean it because pearls cannot be cleaned like other jewelry. Similar fede rings of this genre, in gold settings which are far inferior to this one, sale for anywhere between $3,500 to $6,500 but because of the condition of the pearls I have reduced the price considerably.Argentinean in origin and circa 1700 or a little before
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From ebay.com - 1 month ago