Description
Victorian clover opal ring in rose gold, 18 karats (750). Antique ring with motive of clover, set with three cabochons of opals in prongs setting and four half-pearls. The opals are translucent and have beautiful luminous plays of colors : pink, orange, green yellow and blue. Antique ring, late Victorian, 19th century.
Owl hallmark
Finger size : 52 EU or 6 US (can be resized)
Clover size : 12 x 9 mm
Ring width : 3 mm
Condition : scratches from use
Weight : 2.35 gr
Gemology point and beliefs: There are several types of opals: the noble opals and the common opals. The noble opals, like this one, have a play of colour due to the light. It is composed of tiny siliceous spheres of the same diameter, and in a very regular array. When white light hits the stone it diffracts. Depending on the angle from which it is viewed, the opal’s surface shows the play of colors. The common opal does not have this luminous effect, because their spherules are disordered and of different diameters so the light will only give it a “milky” aspect. In the collective imagination, the opal would have the capacity to make invisible. Hence its designation of “patronus furum” (patron saint of thieves) at the end of the Middle Ages.
