Vintage Colour-Change Sapphire Ring
Striking vintage 'picture frame' ring featuring a remarkable colour-change sapphire set within a glistening diamond border. The principal, flame-fusion stone appears blueish in daylight and bright purple under electric light; the effect is created by the inclusion of vanadium and chromium colouring elements. It's crafted in 18ct gold with London hallmarks from the year 1993, the bimetal design and pretty trifurcated shoulders are both very much in the early 20th century Edwardian style.
Although it's mineral make-up is identical to naturally occurring sapphire (corundum, to use the correct mineralogical term), this stone was created in a laboratory. It's a Verneuil flame-fusion synthetic stone with colour change properties, meaning that specific colouring metals (chromium and vanadium) were passed through an extremely hot oxyhydrogen flame along with powdered aluminium oxide, allowing the molecules to arrange themselves in sapphire's strict and rigid crystalline form. Auguste Verneuil perfected his method in late 1883, and over time it was honed and refined until precious gemstones of remarkable colour and clarity could be produced for the jewellery industry. Experimentation with different colouring agents eventually led to the discovery that added vanadium would not only give a rich, intense purple colour, but, if paired with chromium, it would allow the creation of colour change stones like this one.
Era: Vintage 1993
Ring size: 7.5 US or O 1/2 UK/AUS. Resizable for £35.
Head size: 13.0mm by 11.5mm
Stones: Lab-grown sapphire (colour-change corundum) & brilliant cut diamonds (total diamond weight approx. 10pts
Hallmarks: English, London, 18ct Gold, 1993
Condition: Great vintage condition
Full appraisal document provided with each item
This includes a valuation for insurance purposes, item specifics, date, and origins (where applicable)
Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain)
Shipping
Express shipping is free of charge and carbon offset
Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
UPS Express (International)
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Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£35 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
Leave a note at checkout with your desired size
Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
A 25% deposit will be taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved, often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff/scrape are quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
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alex@lostowl.jewelry