Late Georgian Cannetille Half Hoop Harlequin Ring

A Georgian multi-gemstone half hoop ring, dating to the first decade of the 19th century, circa 1810-10s. A row of garnet, pearl, amethyst, and green tourmaline is framed by cannetille filigree work and granulated beading, with the trifurcated shoulders extending in the same style. The ring is crafted from solid 15k rose gold, with a surface wash of high-carat yellow gold. This type of “colored” gold treatment was very popular during the early 19th century: a core of rose gold (which has copper alloyed in for strength, and was the preferred material for rings) is treated on the surface with a purer karat yellow gold for attractiveness.

These type of multistone rings with delicate settings and shanks were all the rage in Georgian England, and were often worn with many on one finger (as in a ring stack). One letter from this period (dating 1806 and published in La Belle Assemblee) describes this fashion in detail:

“… [the ring] is the most plendid ornament of the kind I ever saw, and is now anxiously sought for by all our women of fashion; it consists of one row of precious stones set separately, in the form of a hoop; each stone the size of a small pea.”