18th century Italian Ruby Cluster Ring

A gorgeous late 18th c Italian cluster ring, of a triple-layered floral form, set with table and flat-cut rubies and garnets in rounded rub-over collet settings. Thirteen of the stones test as rubies; two as garnets. The ring shoulders are accented with applied scrollwork ornaments. Per all rings of this type, the uppermost setting is fixed to the ring head with a rivet. The tightly notched edges is a decorative feature common to all South European jewelry— similar to the scalloped edges of Spanish jewelry, and related to the beaded embellishments of the Portuguese. Several near-identical rings are in the British Museum, all identified as 18th century Italian (accession numbers AF.2171, AF.2172, AF.2174, AF.2173). Two related, but slightly earlier, rings are in the Koch collection (catalogue numbers 878 and 880), identified by Anna Beatriz Chadour as 18th century South European, probably Italian. This design appears to have been made in Italy for over a century, from about 1675-1800; the earliest prototypes bear enameled backs, and there have been modifications to the shank and shoulder design. However, the appearance of the cluster ring face has essentially remained unchanged.
Although similar in appearance to Spanish rings from the same era, no ring of this type are in Spanish museums, and none are identified elsewhere as Spanish in museum collections. Nonetheless, the Spanish influences evident in this ring type can be explained by it having been made in regions like Sicily, Sardinia, Naples, and Milan, which were controlled by Habsburg Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Scroll Down for Description and Video