Vintage Black Star Ring

Vintage Black Star RingCool vintage ring set with a star diopside, flanked on either side by a nephrite jade teardrop. The central stone displays a deep charcoal black colour with an excellent, sharp, six pointed asterism that shifts and glides across the surface when it falls under a point light source. The vibrant, bottle green jade creates a lovely contrast to the diopside, and the head and shoulders are adorned with simple scrollwork and gold granules for that little

Whilest some stones have a greenish-blue hue

he's built in solid 18ct gold - a particularly excellent specimen

You can still just about make some of it out in the crevices of the links

cut into an oval cabochon that perfectly displays the six-pointed star that appears to shimmer and dance across the surface as it moves through the light (an optical effect known as asterism)

The Victorians went in for maximalism

It's a larger-scale example measuring 2

and thus a popular motif in many cultures past and present

Stone: Brilliant Cut Diamond (1

The ring is crafted in platinum throughout with curved shoulders that sweep around the head

Stones: Blue Sapphire

Stones: Rose cut diamonds

simple cuts that were popular from the 1620s: the centre is triangular