c. 1830s German Biedermeier Diamond Cluster Ring

A gorgeous c. 1830-40s German Biedermeier dress ring, of cluster form with approx. 1 ctw of old mine cut diamonds set within cut-down collet settings, all against a yellow gold hoop of deeply chased floral and scrollwork decoration. Deep, crisp chasing—usually with floral, shell, scrollwork, or foliate motifs—is a workmanship characteristic greatly popular during the 1830-40s, and can be found on jewelry made throughout England and continental Europe. Influenced by the rising tide of Romanticism, and buoyed by post-1815 peacetime prosperity of the Metternich system, this type of chased decoration is a reflection of the sentimental optimism of the age and its embrace of gorgeous ornamentation. Though considered broadly European in workmanship, this type of chased gold bear regional distinctions as well. Designs with sweeping curvilinear scrolls paired with compact roundel-like flowers tend to be German in origin. A pair of drawings for ring shoulders in the Städtische Museum collection show examples of this type in the German taste. For an English-made diamond cluster ring with a chased hoop, see pl. 460 p. 328 of “Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty” by Diana Scarisbrick.
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