Boxed Original Antique 3.7 Carats Old Mine Cut DIAMOND Natural Dormeuse Earrings Bezel Set Circle Halo 18k Gold Silver Dangle Bullseye Gift

I am selling an assortment of vintage to antique jewelry and rings which I have hunted for and gathered from around the world. Some examples seen in the last photo - thanks for stopping by!

ABOUT:

My largest earrings to date! This chunky old mine cut diamond antique pair holds two bright and sparkly hand cut diamonds in very sturdy settings. While appearing uniform in size to the eye, one is cut a bit deeper / chunkier so they measure 2 carats for one, and 1.7 carat for the other. A combined 3.7 carats for the pair!

The settings allow the earrings to cover even more real estate below the ear with the addition of the large silver halo surrounding each bezel set stone. So they are quite fabulous and impactful to wear compared to many of the dainty dormeuse out there.

With the open work space in between they aren't really an illusion setting, (although the bezel settings do add a bit of size to the diamond to the eye), but they have a larger footprint when worn because of the wonderful bullseye / target design to them.

These diamonds have an amazing Kozibe effect where the open culet reflects around the stone.

I purchased these in France and they have the French hallmarks for 18k gold and silver on the ear wires but I don't know that they were made there. We noticed this design a lot in Prague and Bavaria, the circular halo forms, and came to learn quickly that it was a popular design for the antique period as it really carried over between cities.

We also saw some with an additional circle above, which I was informed lead them to be referred to as "snowmen" : ). A design that continues to be popular and sought after there today as I was told that people would often come in to the shops there asking, "do you have any snowmen"?

This pair has only the one halo so I suppose it would be classified as a half snowman, or a snowman belly - tee hee. I guess I have snow on the brain as we have a blizzard coming: )

But nice and firm / springy lever backs with ear wires that are inserted at the front of the ear, with a hooked end to latch into the back. These are in excellent shape with the sturdy lever / latches, in the classic dormeuse dangle design with the ear wires leading down to the fixed halo settings. Easier to wear than the ones inserted from the back, and such a classic antique earring design.

Comes as pictured in an antique box, one of my favorites from my own personal collection with the gorgeous blue silk, which is also collectible / valuable on its own with us antique jewelry enthusiasts.

Really beautiful and interesting settings with bright and sparkling diamonds. Would be a beautiful something old for a bride.

Antique box IS included. The box is not original to them but I thought they deserved proper housing so I pulled a nice one from my collection for them.

Please note the detailed measurements that I always provide, as I have small fingers and it can be difficult to determine scale from pictures where I am required to show zoomed in detail.

SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:

They measure about 18mm top to bottom from the top of the ear wire to the bottom of the halo. The halos are 12.5mm in diameter.

The old mine cuts are about 7.5mm in diameter each. There is some overlap of the bezel over the outside edge of the stone so this is an estimate as I don't remove stones from their settings for exact measuring. One is slightly deeper than the other measuring 2 carats while the other is about 1.7 carat. Total carat weight being around 3.7 carats all together.
This pair of earrings weighs 5.4 grams combined.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
Could not ask for better settings with strong and sturdy lever backs that spring closed and stay closed. The diamonds do not move in their bezels although under magnification I can see some spots where the girdle edge of the stone shows, so you'd want to keep an eye on this over time to ensure they remain well held in the bezel with wear.

The diamonds are bright, fiery and with wonderful sparkle. We love these chunky old cuts with the strong Kozibe effect. Though they are typical for the period, each with natural inclusions. Both have smatterings of tiny carbon specks. There is also some gray needle inclusions and some crystal speck inclusions that can catch the light. The inclusions are focused more around the outside edges of the stones, with the areas under the tables of the stones being cleaner. This helps because the busier reflections on the outlines of the stones help mask the natural variants to the stones. There are no large inky spots so while on the ear they honestly appear as great quality, but the inclusions can be eye visible if you are seeking them out.

The antique diamonds are wonderful - both eye clean and lively, one with a tiny carbon speck smaller than a pinhead seen only under strong magnification and nothing really detectable at all in the other. Slight warmth typical for the period when viewed from the side under magnification, but facing up brighter so no detectible warmth or yellow hues while wearing.

Tight and springy hinges, better than many dormeuse that can be found. They snap closed and wear securely. There was a lot of stubborn tarnish on the silver halos that I was able to clear away with time. A few nicks and impressions can be seen on the halo and a bit of patina remains.

I don't prefer to grade my antique diamonds with the Four C's grading scale which came about way later for machine cut diamonds with mathematically perfected facets. The scale does not do antique stones justice as they were expertly hand cut to their best advantage, in a much more limited supply compared to the millions of carats of machine cut diamonds made each year now. Their uniqueness and quirks are expected and part of their charm, but do read the detailed notes which provide more information than a letter grade. My items do very well without paperwork so there is no certification included for the diamonds since the scales don't apply very well to these one of a kind stones anyway.

Please note that all my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. They will have patina, surface wear, a few small nicks. These pieces may also have evidence of a sizing, some build up around the stones and / or inclusions seen under magnification, typical for antique pieces. I have mentioned any noticeable issues above and they are all still wearable and eager to be loved and accepted for many years to come, (the preservation of antique jewelry, even those with signs of their age and history, is important to me. : )
But - Please note due to age, this piece is not in mint condition. Pictures also serve as part of the description and condition report so please utilize the zoom feature which will magnify any wear significantly more than what is visible to the eye while wearing : )

SOCIAL:
Please feel free watch @mouseshouseantiques on Instagram for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews! And check out my website www.MousesHouseAntiques.com as I can add more pics there so you can get extra looks : )

All items hand picked by me, one at a time from all over the world. All listings individually written by me, and not AI, after studying each piece to discuss its beauties and its ; ) eccentricities (which I am picky to point out).

Many of my listings include group shots – I find the comparisons between pieces help show scale, diamond hues, etc. All items in group shots are inventory, but refer to the website to see what items have sold out and to watch for new listings from the grouping to appear on the home page.

Box#dmd.3^2