A beautiful, visually interesting and historicially fascinating 22ct gold ring. This piece is set with a very lively opal doublet to the centre, which is a later addition to its antique shank. The opal measures 9 mm x 6 mm and displays a gorgeous range of vibrant colour. The shank is stamped with a duty hallmark. In 1784, a new duty was declared on gold in Great Britain. This necessitated a new hallmark, shown as the sovereign’s head. Duty marks then ceased in 1890 with the head of Victoria. Not all rings dating to the late 18th and 19th century were actually hallmarked with a duty stamp so finding a piece marked like this set my eyes alight. As well as being a very pretty, colourful and lively piece, it is a little window into British jewellery history. An absoulte delight in my opinion.
Measurements: UK ring size M 1/2 or US size 6 1/4
Weighs: 2.21 grams
Hallmarks: fully hallmarked 22, London, date letter s 1813 or 1833, duty mark, for 22ct gold