Is my Grand Mum's ring really as old as she was told?

by Anne
(Stoughton WI)

Recently my Grand Mum gave me a ring I've loved since I was small. She bought it in England about 50 years ago and was told then that it was 200 years old or so. There are 3 tiny pearls lined in the middle, with 2 small rubies on either side. There is a small pearl on the outsides of both the rubies. Around the jewels are "dots" or what look like pin pricks in the gold.

Inside there are 3 stamps. The first is: 15 The second is: .625 The third is: N

I would like to know if the ring is really old or just a fake. The pictures are not too great, but it's the best I could do.

Hi Anne,

Well, from the info you provided it looks like the ring your Grand Mum gave you is definitely an antique ring – although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact age of the ring.

Both of the 15 and .625 stamps refer to the type of gold the ring is made of: 15ct gold – which is 62.5% gold. The stamps are British stamps, and this type of gold was discontinued in the mid-1930s. The N stamp could indicate the ring design, company or designer….a British hallmark logo book could possibly yield more clues on that mark. The dots around the jewels could be design features or empty settings where additional pearls or rubies were lost.

15ct gold was used very rarely in the late Georgian era but was used much more frequently during the Victorian Age (1837 – 1901) the Edwardian era (1901 – 1910) and the early Art Deco age (1915 – 1935).

I don’t think the ring is quite as old as your Grand Mum was told. If she bought the ring about 50 years ago that would have been in the 1960s, and 200 years before that is around the 1760s, which would put the ring from the Georgian era. Looking at the condition and style of the ring, plus the materials which were used to create the ring – yellow 15ct gold, rubies and pearls – I would tentatively place the ring dated around the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The condition and style are not really indicative of the Victorian Age or the Edwardian era, and while pearls and rubies were popular during the Victorian Age, the geometric position of the ring and settings leads me to believe it could be an early Art Deco ring or a very late Victorian Age ring. Although Art Deco rings are more commonly characterized by the use of platinum and diamonds – pearls, rubies and 15ct gold were also used particularly in early designs.

While the ring is probably not as old as you had thought, it is still a beautiful antique ring and would definitely be a wonderful family heirloom.

I hope this information helps, and if you have any additional questions do contact us again –

Suzanne