Antique Melissa Venus Victrix Intaglio Signet Ring Carnelian 18K Gold ØUS8/5.8gr

Name: Antique Melissa Venus Victrix Intaglio Signet Ring Carnelian 18K Gold ØUS8/5.8gr
Brand: Unknown
Rating: 5 (41 reviews)

Price:$3,000

About the Item

Old Signet Unisex intaglio 18K (tested) Gold Ring featuring Carnelian(type of Agate)stone with the detailed carved depiction of Cupid receiving the arrows from his mother, goddess Venus Victrix or Aphrodite standing pregnant close to a torch with a bee flying over the flames..Ancient Greeks and Romans associated a torch with the morning star (i.e., the planet Venus at dawn). Greeks also called Aphrodite as Melissa, or the Queen Bee and this title was also given to Aphrodite’s high priestess at the honeycomb shrine of Mount Eryx, where the Goddess’s fetish was a golden honeycomb. Greeks perceived the hexagon as an expression of the spirit of Aphrodite whose sacred number was six. The high priestess of the shrine worshiped bees as her sacred creatures because they understood how to create perfect hexagons in their honeycomb. In Aphrodite's temple at Eryx, the priestesses were melissae, “bees” and the Goddess herself was entitled Melissa, the Queen Bee. This ring has no hallmarks, apparently custom hand-made a lot of time ago. this piece show classic shapes of the band and the crown that repeat ancient Greek and Roman designs of Cameo and Intaglio Rings very closely. Ca 19th - 18th century or earlier. The stone may be even older. Inside the Web I found some nice images of Ancient Greek and Roman Intaglio Rings that were sold sometime at some famous auction before. My eyes found this ring to be very close to some of those. But there were no images to show the back view of the things. So I can only guess if any of those rings has a stone with back side of similar oval cabochon cut and polished to gloss. Band with plain shoulders 5.5mm widest / 1.8mm at narrowest. Stone : 20mm x 17mm x 8mm. The body of this Carnelian is of dark Orange color. Carnelian stone both plain or banded is considered to be an ideal medium for the art of intaglio and relief carving since ancient times.. It's a relatively hard stone and is perfect for everyday wear. Size: Ø8 US / 18.19 mm.It can be sized up or down for additional payment. Weight: 5.8 grams In the finest used condition, stone with micro scratches on the surface. Most of the items that we sell are not new at all if not stated otherwise. Accordingly, most of the items most often show some signs of use. We do our best to photograph and describe condition as accurately as possible if we notice something. There is no point in hiding anything or lying about the condition of used items that are at least several decades old.. Also presume that sometimes metal parts, stones or enamels ,etc. may show minor scratches, chips, micro-dents, minor deformations and other signs of wear and aging that we could miss to notice in description, unintentionally. . If there are questions about an item, please email us before you buy it. We will note in the description any anomalies but also provide visual aid concerning condition though photographs, and these should be considered part of the description. Most images of items listed were taken under natural light at daytime. We use modern high quality digital cameras and additional photo equipment for image processing. We upload high quality images that allow to see well the shapes, colors and flaws of very small stones . So look carefully before you buy anything. In reality some colors of materials involved may look a bit differently depending on light conditions, settings and functionality of your monitor and my camera. Your personal perception of colors and physiological conditions of your eyes may also affect the vision of the items. Gemstones may often look differently in different light and weather conditions and time of the day, both indoors and outdoors. Stones of the rings photographed alone may look a bit differently when on hand because your finger makes the back side of the stone closed and light no longer can go through and the color becomes different. Stones with closed backs may seem darker than stones with open backs. Such nuances of color perception do not give any excuse to claim item to be not as described. Unfortunately Internet sales do not allow us to see the items in person before we get them by post. All listings on AdM contain detailed images and accurate descriptions of the items involved with all possible detailed information about colors and measurements involved. Minor color deviations may be possible. So If you want to be be absolutely sure about the colors or other qualities of the items that you want to buy - please buy at physical shops and avoid internet shops. Do not buy here. CUSTOM WORK : About Resizing: Resizing of rings can be done on request. The work will be done by experienced professional jeweler. Note: We will not be responsible for any physical/color changes that may occur as a result of heating of the stones during the process of resizing. We will not be responsible if in the process of resizing or customization any stone on the ring becomes loose, if any deformation occurs in general or if band of the ring changes shape or becomes deformed. Such misfortunes may occur very seldom, but cannot be ruled out when dealing with old jewelry for any sizing requires heating and change of the band's shape. Polishing of the band is always a final step of any resizing but machinery used for polishing causes vibration that old rings (with prongs for example ) often do not like at all. So if you request resizing from me/my jeweler - do not forget about this disclaimer rule - Adm as a seller will not be responsible in case of any misfortune or damage that may occur during any customization or resizing work and there will be no refunds, cancellations or returns. Once items have been sized, customized in any way or engraved they are not returnable. We can arrange alter certain things like bracelet or necklace lengths for an additional fee but once altered these items are not returnable. Please be certain of your purchase before requesting any customization. CARE AND REPAIR: Please note that nothing is immune to damage or wear after purchase if proper care is not taken and items may require maintenance at some point after purchase: stone tightening, band re-soldering, prong re-tipping, cleaning,etc. It is important to choose pieces that are appropriate for your lifestyle, especially important with an engagement ring or other piece that might be worn daily for an extended period of time; consider prongs, enamel, pearls,coral, turquoise and opal stones carefully as they may not work for daily or vigorous wear and may need special care. It is recommended that rings be removed when performing manual labor such as gardening, heavy carpentry, working out, weightlifting or any other abnormally heavy activity. This particularly applies to pieces with enamel, pearls, opals, and delicate filigree but even diamonds can chip or stones fall out if proper care is not taken. WEIGHT OF THE STONES The cuts of the stones that you may see on many of the older jewelry items are usually of older mine or European and because of their deeper culets, off-round shapes and higher tables their weight is difficult to determine using the formulas for diamonds with a contemporary cut, therefore their approximate weight can only be estimated. It is often difficult or impossible to get an accurate characteristics of the weight , color and nature of inclusions without removing the stones from the settings to be weighed and examined and doing that may damage the piece. Please note: By industry standards appraiser's grades can often differ up to and including one full grade Please note: All sizes and weights on set stones are approximate. Differences found under 1 mm are not considered appreciable. About Certification : We can provide GIA Certificate for items listed for additional payment upon request. Such service is expensive and takes time. In case of Return or Cancellation any payments provided for custom Certification will not be refunded!

Ring Size:
8 US, Resizable
Metal:
18k Gold
Stone:
Carnelian
Stone Cut:
Cabochon
Weight:
5.8 g
Style:
Greek Revival
Place of Origin:
Europe
Period:
Late 18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Unknown
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. In finest used condition, stone with micro scratches on the surface.
Seller Location:
SE
Reference Number:
Seller: PTMM2203234000.87781stDibs: LU3995223869382