Art Nouveau Snake Ring Old Cut Diamond Bloomed Gold

A magnificent Art Nouveau serpent ring, crafted circa 1900-1910 and of 14k gold. Weighing a hefty 7.7 grams, this ring chased in the form of a curling serpent, with its mouth opening to hold a 3.28mm old European cut diamond. The gold surface has been ‘bloomed’, a coloring technique used by jewelers during the turn of the century to burn away alloys on karat gold’s surface by dipping the material in a special acid mix (muriatic acid, potassium nitrate, salt and water). The resulting surface appears high-karat and matte.

From the designs of Erté to jewelry made by Lalique and Fouquet, the serpent was a favored and reoccurring motif of the art nouveau movement. Of course, this fascination was in part an inheritance from the Victorian era, when snake jewelry was popularized by the Queen’s own engagement ring in the form of a serpent. Inspired by 19th-century archeological finds and the ancient Egyptian symbol of the Ouroboros, Victorians believed snakes represented eternity and eternal love. But while many Victorian fashions and designs fell out of favor during the new century, serpents enjoyed continued popularity with Art Nouveau designers, who above all desired to channel free-flowing shapes and contours organic to nature. Snakes, with their sensuous lines and air of mystique, naturally lent themselves well to the Art Nouveau aesthetic.