Ruby Pigeon Blood Round
2010s Chinese Retro Cocktail Rings
Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary North American Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
Late 20th Century Modern Cluster Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
Ruby, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Engagement Rings
Ruby, Platinum
Vintage 1950s Art Deco Engagement Rings
Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Solitaire Rings
Ruby, Platinum
2010s Loose Gemstones
Ruby
2010s Hong Kong Art Nouveau Tennis Bracelets
Ruby, 18k Gold
2010s Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, White Gold
Early 2000s Asian Engagement Rings
Ruby, Diamond
2010s Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Modern Chandelier Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
2010s Belgian Contemporary Cuff Bracelets
Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Antique 19th Century French Belle Époque Pendant Necklaces
Ruby, Diamond, Pearl, Silver, Yellow Gold, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
2010s American Contemporary Stud Earrings
Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Band Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Art Deco Stud Earrings
Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Stud Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Solitaire Rings
Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
2010s Thai Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Hong Kong Modern Engagement Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s More Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Rubelite, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s British Artisan Engagement Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Fashion Rings
White Diamond, Ruby, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
2010s Stud Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Ruby
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Modern Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
2010s Stud Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Stud Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Belgian Contemporary Hoop Earrings
Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Thai Modern Stud Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Belgian Art Nouveau Fashion Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, White Diamond, Ruby, Spinel, 18k Gold, Silver, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
Vintage 1920s Unknown Art Deco Engagement Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
2010s Wedding Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1970s English Victorian Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Loose Gemstones
Ruby
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Stud Earrings
Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Ruby Pigeon Blood Round For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Ruby Pigeon Blood Round?
Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
The Legacy of Ruby in Jewelry Design
This deep red gem is the color of heat and passion — vintage and antique ruby jewelry is perfect for those born in the middle of summer.
Rubies are one of the few gemstones that can give diamonds a run for their money. Just consider the Van Cleef & Arpels “scarf” necklace the Duke of Windsor presented to the Duchess on her 40th birthday, in 1936 — set with diamonds and dripping with rubies, a testament to the deep-red gemstone’s power — or the slippers encrusted with 4,600 rubies that Harry Winston made to commemorate The Wizard of Oz’s golden anniversary. July babies have permission to adorn themselves with this beautiful red stone even when it’s not their birthday.
Rubies are considered precious stones — along with diamonds, sapphires and emeralds — and have a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs Scale, surpassed only by Moissanite and diamonds. They are composed of corundum, a colorless mineral that is also the basic material of sapphires. In the July birthstone, the red of the gemstone — and the various hues seen in sapphires — are produced by the presence of trace elements. In the case of a ruby, this element is chromium. Rubies range in color from vermilion to a violet red. They are also pleochroic, which means that a stone’s hue can vary depending on the direction of viewing. The most sought-after color is pigeon’s blood: pure red with a hint of blue.
Rubies that are hosted in dolomite marble are the most prized: Because the marble is low in iron, so are the rubies, resulting in a more intense color. Rubies found in basalt, which has a higher iron content, are generally darker and less intense.
When shopping for antique and vintage ruby jewelry, remember that the 4Cs of selecting the perfect diamond — color, clarity, cut and carat — also apply to rubies.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, the color of the July birthstone should be a vibrant to slightly purplish red, and the stone should be clear and inclusion-free. Accordingly, the cut should show off its color and clarity. As for the last criterion, fine rubies more than a carat in weight are rare. Often, large rubies are more expensive than diamonds of comparable weights.
Find a collection of ruby necklaces, ruby rings and other accessories on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The best way to tell if a ruby is a pigeon’s blood ruby is to take the gemstone to a licensed jewelry appraiser. Although you can attempt to identify the stone from its coloration, an expert can give you a more definitive answer. You'll find a wide variety of expertly vetted ruby gemstone jewelry on 1stDibs.