French Napoleon III Enamel Victorian Ring 18k Gold Seed Pearl Halo

An unusual and lovely 19th century French Napoleon III 18k rose gold ring, with a large navette ring face enameled with flowers against a black ground and framed with natural saltwater seed pearls. Likely crafted in the Rhône-Alpes region of France near the southeastern border, this ring is a confluence of French and Swiss design influences: the channeled shank with the reticulated shoulder connecting to a medallion has a decidedly Empire flavor, while the folk-style and almost naive floral enamel work against a dark ground appears to be Swiss work.