Ornate 18thC Crimean Tatar Silver Four Ruby Red Glass "Gemstone" Ring Size 7¾

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! Large Beautiful Size 7 3/4 Late Renaissance Era Silver Alloy Ring with Two “Sapphire Blue” and “Ruby Red” Colored Glass “Gem” Stones; Two “Amethyst Purple” and “Ruby Red” Colored Glass Accent “Gem” Stones. CLASSIFICATION : Silver/Bronze Alloy Ring with Four Colored Glass “Gemstones” and Elevated Bezel “Horns”. ATTRIBUTION : Eastern Europe (Southern Russia/Crimean Region/Black Sea, 18-19th Century A.D. SIZE/DIMENSIONS : Size: 7 3/4 (U.S.) Inner Diameter: 18 1/2mm * 18mm. Overall Dimensions: 32 1/2mm * 20mm. Two Gemstone Bezels “Horns”. Each: Diameter at Top: 9mm. Diameter at Bottom 4mm. Diameter at Bottom Collar: 6mm. Height: 12mm above band. (All measurements approximate). Overall Bezel Measurements (as if horns were conjoined): 18mm * 9mm (at top); 12mm * 6mm (at bottom). Two Primary “Gemstones”: Each about 8 1/2mm in diameter; 5 1/2mm in depth. Two Accent “Gemstones”: Each about 4mm in diameter; 2mm in depth. Tapered Width Band: 6mm at bezel; 5 1/2mm at sides; 4mm at back. Weight: 4.98 grams. CONDITION : Superb! Intact, integrity unimpaired. Moderately light wear from usage. No significant porosity (surface pitting caused by contact with earth while buried). Very fine finish. DETAIL : A very ornate silver/bronze alloy ring of late Renaissance origin, probably eighteenth or nineteenth century, provenance is Southern Russia, the Crimean Region. The Crimean, now part of present-day Ukraine, was home of the Tartars (and before them ancient Greek settlements during the first millennium B.C.), across the Black Sea from what was at the time this ring was produced, the Ottoman Empire, modern day Turkey. The ring bears a very elaborate pattern on the sides of the band which extend from the accent stones thence backwards about two-thirds of the way to the back of the band, where the remainder (the back third or so) of the band is blank. At the time the ring was produced, there were also engraved periphery boundary accent lines on each side of the entire circumference of the band. However you can see that a portion of both of these circumferential accent lines have been worn smooth toward the back of the band, giving clear evidence that the ring was worn in the ancient past. If you look at the ornate engraved pattern in the sides of the band you may also discern a certain amount of “flattening” of the design due to wear. The entirely of the pattern remains distinct and discernible, but the high points of been worn down just a bit. The two elevated bezel/protrusions each containing a “gemstone” – the settings resembling a straight horn with the “gemstones” set into the widest end. The finely serrated “teeth” holding the gemstones within the conical bezels are in remarkable condition considering the age of the ring. They do show a little bit of wear, and one small “tooth” has been lost. Nonetheless they are quite intricate, and the “gemstones” remain well secured within their respective bezels. Each gemstone bezel protrudes about 12mm above the band. It is quite an exceptional touch, popular for the time and setting, they were designed to display the “gemstones” prominently, so you could not fail to appreciate them! In a sense, the Eastern European/Byzantine equivalent of “in your face” ostentatiousness. There is very little wear to the intricate metal work of the bezels. More often than not such conical bezels come to as battered and badly dented, consequence of the protuberances being hit while on the wearer’s hand. We’ve seen a number of rings of similar style, and they almost always show such small dents, one of the inherent hazards of wearing such a ostentatious ring. But these two conical bezels remain in remarkably good condition. At the bottom of each horn is a very intricate serrated collar looking almost as if “teeth” have been cut into them, or perhaps not unlike the appearance of cogged gears. These collars, found at the base of each coni... read more

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