1860s Italian Micromosaic ring 18k Gold Shell Motif

A unique c. 1860s Italian micromosaic ring, of solid 18k yellow gold, featuring a rectangular panel of tesserae mosaic glass set to form a flower garland against a deep red ground, with the setting trimmed with turned gold and the shoulders accented with Baroque-revival sea shells. The inclusion of granulated beading and wire-work decorations shows the influence of Etrucan-revival designs, which were extremely in vogue during this period. 

Micromosaic jewelry enjoyed its greatest popularity during the early-mid 19th century, around the tail-end of the Grand Tour period, when traveling Europe’s key cultural sites was considered an indispensable element of class and education for the upper classes. Jewelry such as this ring would be made in Italy, where there was a robust glass-making industry, and a rich heritage of mosaic art tracing all the way to antiquity. Tourists and visitors would marvel at mosaic floors and wall panels in Roman villas and various ruins, and then return home with micromosaic jewelry as a reminder of their journey. However, at the height of production, micromosaic jewelry was favored beyond souvenir; in the 1850-60s, important jewelry firms elsewhere in Europe were regularly importing micromosaic panels from Italy, to be set in-house and sold in major cities such as London and Paris.
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