kiwipaul
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 21, 2013
- Messages
- 195
I recently acquired this most unusual 9ct gold ring set with a 9.75mm diameter button shaped golden pearl.
No provenance other than previous owner bought it from an estate sale several years ago.
The ring looks to me like it is Arts & Crafts period, parts of it are assembled, and the engraving on the leaf pattern shoulders is different on each, suggesting these may be hand done rather than churned out of a lost wax mold.
If I saw this ring with say an Opal in it, I would confidently call it as pre-1940's.
The pearl is gritty to the tooth, I've handled lots of Miki's and some naturals, little doubt it is a real pearl.
Under a 30x loupe and very bright light the rim of the button (thinest part of the pearl) is translucent. I can see depth in it.
It also appears that the light shines right through the pearl, almost illuminating it, although this is a little hard to tell in the setting, which has a post as well as the claws.
Now this is strange, at three places around the rim, looking into the pearl I can make what looks like a tiny flake of a lighter material.
Hard to describe, but they are like a tiny fleck sized leaf under the surface, maybe 1/100 size of a matchhead.
These don't disturb the integrity or colour of the exterior, I can only see them when looking "in".
They're a bit like an inclusion in a gemstone.
Bear in mind I live in New Zealand. The Cook Islands including Tongareva was administered by our country until 1965, and we have a larger population of Cooks people living in NZ than actually live in the Islands.
Could this be a vintage Pipi Pearl ring?
Do the "inclusions" I describe make any sense in a natural pearl?
Sorry my pics haven't come out so well, the forum is resizing some of them down a bit, I'll try and post some better asap.
The pearl is actually a bit lighter in colour, and more "silvery" than the pictures depict.
Thanks in advance
Paul
Auckland, New Zealand
![Pipi3a.jpg Pipi3a.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17330-62ad2958ad39f6fa830282dc38e30673.jpg)
![Pipi4a.jpg Pipi4a.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17331-cd3a3d0cbde3ec4e7e9c956938b446fb.jpg)
![Pipi3aa.jpg Pipi3aa.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17332-f7281886560b9771fbe6ea1a8baa9db0.jpg)
![Pipi2aa.jpg Pipi2aa.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17333-129d0e7a1575c9258a8ae07c0530de0a.jpg)
![Pipi1aa.jpg Pipi1aa.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17334-91ef940bf97ddc506a47d01a79e87672.jpg)
No provenance other than previous owner bought it from an estate sale several years ago.
The ring looks to me like it is Arts & Crafts period, parts of it are assembled, and the engraving on the leaf pattern shoulders is different on each, suggesting these may be hand done rather than churned out of a lost wax mold.
If I saw this ring with say an Opal in it, I would confidently call it as pre-1940's.
The pearl is gritty to the tooth, I've handled lots of Miki's and some naturals, little doubt it is a real pearl.
Under a 30x loupe and very bright light the rim of the button (thinest part of the pearl) is translucent. I can see depth in it.
It also appears that the light shines right through the pearl, almost illuminating it, although this is a little hard to tell in the setting, which has a post as well as the claws.
Now this is strange, at three places around the rim, looking into the pearl I can make what looks like a tiny flake of a lighter material.
Hard to describe, but they are like a tiny fleck sized leaf under the surface, maybe 1/100 size of a matchhead.
These don't disturb the integrity or colour of the exterior, I can only see them when looking "in".
They're a bit like an inclusion in a gemstone.
Bear in mind I live in New Zealand. The Cook Islands including Tongareva was administered by our country until 1965, and we have a larger population of Cooks people living in NZ than actually live in the Islands.
Could this be a vintage Pipi Pearl ring?
Do the "inclusions" I describe make any sense in a natural pearl?
Sorry my pics haven't come out so well, the forum is resizing some of them down a bit, I'll try and post some better asap.
The pearl is actually a bit lighter in colour, and more "silvery" than the pictures depict.
Thanks in advance
Paul
Auckland, New Zealand
![Pipi3a.jpg Pipi3a.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17330-62ad2958ad39f6fa830282dc38e30673.jpg)
![Pipi4a.jpg Pipi4a.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17331-cd3a3d0cbde3ec4e7e9c956938b446fb.jpg)
![Pipi3aa.jpg Pipi3aa.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17332-f7281886560b9771fbe6ea1a8baa9db0.jpg)
![Pipi2aa.jpg Pipi2aa.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17333-129d0e7a1575c9258a8ae07c0530de0a.jpg)
![Pipi1aa.jpg Pipi1aa.jpg](https://www.pearl-guide.com/data/attachments/17/17334-91ef940bf97ddc506a47d01a79e87672.jpg)
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