Lot 223B
Western Europe, probably France, ca. 19th century CE. An opulent white gold ring featuring a brilliant blue chalcedony intaglio of a coat of arms with a tilted shield or escutcheon - usually meaning it belongs to nobility - containing 3 fleurs de lis, lily flowers traditionally used by French royalty. The coat of arms is comprised of a square "Old French" shaped escutcheon containing party per fes decoration with 2 fleurs de lis on top and one on the bottom. The field is adorned with hatching of points that represent the color or or gold, while the bar has vertical lines representing the hue gules or red. A right-facing knight's helmet serves as the helm, suggesting the crest is associated with the military, as extravagant, phytomorphic mantling emerges from either side, all surmounted by a towering crest. Size of ring: 0.9" L x 0.6" W (2.3 cm x 1.5 cm); of intaglio: 0.5" L x 0.5" W (1.3 cm x 1.3 cm); gold quality: 61% (equivalent to over 14 karats); weight: 7.7 grams; US ring size: 8
Stemming from the Latin term chalcedonius (chalchedonius), the name chalcedony is mentioned in Pliny the Elder's "Naturalis Historia" as a term for a translucent type of Jaspis. In fact the name most likely derives from the town of Chalcedon in Asia Minor. Chalcedony was used as early as the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean. For example, chalcedony seals dating to ca. 1800 BCE have been recovered from the Palace of Knossos on Minoan Crete. In addition, scholars have found that peoples residing along Central Asian trade routes used chalcedony to create pieces that display Greco-Roman influences.
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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#175430
- Condition: Intact, excellent, and wearable with impressive preservation of detail. Interior of ring stamped with "585" mark for gold quality and maker's mark of the letter K with a horse head facing left.
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