Cartier Certified Diamond Solitaire Ring

Description:
A ring styled as a solitaire, principally featuring a near-colourless 1.00-carat modern round brilliant-cut diamond in a raised white gold four-claw setting. Accompanied by four smaller brilliant-cut diamonds similarly set, two to each side. The shoulders are bevelled with a deep, defined chevron pattern. The setting is raised by twisted wirework ornaments and joined by a similarly bevelled plain polished shank, signed Cartier, Paris.

Commentary:
The fashion of the 1950s was characterised by the prominence of rich yellow gold for daytime wear, often paired with bold and textured designs to reflect post-war opulence. An example in Jewelry of the 1940s and 1950s (Sylvie Raulet, 1988, Thames & Hudson) illustrates a similar ring in the Cartier archive dated 1949. The example features a principal diamond raised in a white setting with complementary diamonds arranged beneath in a four-fold pattern over wide graduated shoulders. In that instance, the shoulders are beaded, highlighting Cartier’s design versatility.

Additionally, a pair of diamond and gold earrings housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum (accession number M.151:1, 2-2007), dated 1950–1960, features a similar gold fluted pattern. These are described as: “The angled curves of ribbed gold give depth and a sense of movement to the design of these diamond earrings. During the 1950s, polished gold was often given this regular surface patterning, and a pleasing interplay is here achieved by varying the orientation of the parallel lines.”

Technical Details and Assessments:

Principal Diamond:
Shape: round, Facet design: brilliant-cut (modern), Measuring: 6.56 mm x 6.59 mm x 3.86 mm, Weight: 1.00 carat, Colour: H, Clarity: SI2, Grading report: AnchorCert Gemlab, report no. 20068891.

Setting:
Material: 18-carat gold, Hallmarked: France, Assay Office: Paris, Sponsor’s (maker’s) mark: “SCA” (Cartier; maker’s mark 1929-1980), Construction: handmade, Ring size: L½, Weight: 6.70 grams.