The Blue Paisley Fox

This Art Deco 18K white gold and diamond tiara is an exceptionally rare and gorgeous jewel. Created entirely by hand in the 1930s, this semi-flexible 15" tiara is composed of thirty 9mm long by 3.15 rectangular segments of 18k white gold, each of which is channel-set with four tiny brilliant round diamonds. Each rectangular segment is joined to the other by a bezel-set round brilliant. Beginning three-quarters of the way forward on the tiara are nine upside-down "U" shaped mountings, each of which is set with two round brilliant diamonds on the interior and then three additional diamonds atop the rounded portion of the "U." The diamonds are close-backed, so a perfectly accurate weight cannot be obtained, but using a geological mathematical formula, I estimate the total diamond weight on the frame of the tiara to be approximately 3.8 carats. Not counting the freely-dangling diamond briolettes. There are nine, and they are magnificent, fire-filled, and faceted tears of joy. Each measures approximately 5.45mm x 3.44mm x 2.89mm which, again, by formula, suggests a diamond weight of between .51 -.57 carats. So we will go with the lower number, as we always do here, and this gives us a diamond weight for the briolettes alone of 4.59 carats. Altogether, this simultaneously subtle and spectacular tiara has a total -approximate- diamond carat weight of 8.39 carats. The tiara has a length of approximately 12". This is a tiara that can be worn in several ways. It can "surround" the base of a bun atop the head, or could be similarly positioned lower toward the nape to adorn a chignon, or it could be pinned to the very top of the head where it could secure a wedding veil into position. So this is not a tiara like the Princess of Wales's favorite tiara, The Lover's Knot; but then is a tiara of that scale ever appropriate for one who is not a duchess, a princess of a reigning monarch? This is an absolutely perfect wedding tiara...

This important Kashmir sapphire ring is an original gilded-age Tiffany & Co. masterpiece. It features one of the rarest, most prized gemstones on earth: a Kashmir sapphire. The cor...

A striking and fascinating Chrysoberyl cat's eye gem with a sharp, well-defined "eye" that slides across the stone as you move your hand is the powerful focal point of this vintage h...

An enormous, spectacular four-carat cabochon-cut vivid pinkish-red no-heat Burma ruby commands attention in this extraordinary platinum Mid-century ring. The stoplight-red ruby measu...

This custom, handmade jade ring features a deep "imperial" green natural and untreated jadeite jade cabochon from Burma that measures 14 x 8.71 x 3.28mm. The rich green stone rests a...

A lush, succulent lavender jade ring from the Mid-century (circa 1960s) like no other. This one-of-a-kind handmade ring features a huge (23.48 x 17.44 x 11.81) double cabochon of lum...

This classic midcentury (circa 1960s-1970s) black jade ring features a cabochon of unique jade: half omphacite jade; half jadeite jade. The glossy pia...

An absolutely stunning jade bead necklace of translucent bluish-green certified natural and untreated jadeite jade beads. These extraordinarily translucent beads are a most uncommon ...

This pearl necklace features a certified jade clasp that has been certified natural and untreated. The creamy-white -almost golden- pearls average a luxurio...

This classic midcentury jade ring features a cabochon of lush, translucent apple green natural and untreated jadeite jade from Burma. The sleek 14k...

A rare aluminum and diamind stanhope ring. A "Stanhope lens" is a tiny single-lens microscope invented in the late 18th century by Eton-educated Charles Stanhope, the 3rd Earl Stanhope. The unique construction of the lens requires that the object to be magnified be near or in direct contact with the lens. Photography, which had been invented several decades prior to the Stanhope lens, was ever-evolving, and something called "microphotographs" became a thing in the mid-1800s. These tiny photographs could not be seen without a microscope. The Victorians, dressed as they were in multiple layers of social decorum, etiquette, and clothing, loved microphotographs because they were cunning, and the subject matter could be naughty —filthy naughty, even— yet remain invisible to anyone without a microscope. The Stanhope lens came along at just the right time and was eagerly adopted; incorporated into everything from crucifixes to sewing scissors. And, of course, set into rings. Stanhope rings...

This haltingly impressive certified natural Australian black opal ring was created in England in 1988 by G. Bros of London. The stupendous opal displays every color in the spectrum —...