Triple serpent ring in textured gold with ruby, sapphire and diamond, ca. 1900

This late Victorian to early Art Nouveau triple snake ring, made around 1900, coils in richly textured 18K yellow gold. Its three serpent heads carry, in turn, a diamond, a ruby and a sapphire, giving the jewel a lively play of colour and symbolism. The openwork design and sinuous movement place it firmly within the transitional taste around 1900, where Victorian ornament begins to soften towards Art Nouveau.

Jewellery Type
ring

Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale

Country of origin
unknown

Style
Late Victorian to early Art Nouveau. This jewel stands at the meeting point of two late 19th century currents: the richly decorative language of the Victorian period and the first signs of Art Nouveau. Victorian jewellery often drew on earlier historical styles, romantic symbolism and a strong taste for ornament, while the later decades of the century also opened the door to softer, more naturalistic and more fluid forms.

Art Nouveau, which emerged towards the end of the 19th century and flourished around 1890 to 1905, brought an organic approach to design. It favoured flowing lines, stylised flowers, plants, insects, female figures and other natural forms. In this transitional period, jewels may still retain a Victorian structure or sentiment, while already showing the movement and nature-inspired rhythm that would become central to Art Nouveau.

The style is also connected with related artistic movements of the late Victorian age, including the Arts and Crafts movement, the Aesthetic movement and the Anglo-Japanese taste. Together, these currents helped shift decorative art away from strict historical revival and towards a more integrated artistic vision, in which jewellery, furniture, interiors and architecture could all form part of a unified aesthetic.

See also: Late Victorian, Art Nouveau, Eclecticism
More info on styles

Style specifics
Late Victorian to early Art Nouveau. The subject and rich gold ornament are still rooted in the 19th century, while the openwork design, leaf-like details and sinuous movement already suggest the natural rhythm of early Art Nouveau.

Period
ca. 1900
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Source of inspiration
Mother Nature

Theme
Snakes and serpents. Snakes and serpents are among the oldest and most widespread symbols in human culture. Their meaning varies from one civilisation to another, yet many interpretations return to the same basic ideas: renewal, transformation, fertility, protection, wisdom and healing.

Because a snake sheds its skin, it has often been associated with rebirth and the cycle of life, death and renewal. In jewellery, the serpent can therefore carry both protective and regenerative meaning. It may also suggest eternity, sensuality or hidden knowledge, depending on the period, culture and design.

Theme specifics
The ring is designed around a sinuous serpent-like form, enriched with textured goldwork and coloured stones. Its coiling movement gives the jewel both a protective and a living quality, in keeping with the long symbolic tradition of serpent jewellery.

Material 18K
yellow gold (touchstone tested)
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Diamonds
One old European cut diamond with an approximate total weight of 0.18ct colour and clarity J/K, si/i

- Any diamond weights, colour grades, and clarity stated are approximate unless otherwise noted, as diamonds are not removed from their settings in order to preserve the integrity of the piece.

- All diamonds in our antique and vintage jewellery, regardless of size or shape, are verified by the IJGC laboratory as natural.

Precious stones
One sapphire with an approximate total weight of 0.19ct
One ruby with an approximate total weight of 0.24ct

All coloured stone weights stated are approximate unless otherwise noted, as stones are not removed from their settings in orde.
Gemstones are often treated to improve their colour or clarity. The stones in this piece have not been tested for treatment unless otherwise stated.

Birthstones
Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April, sapphire for September and ruby for July.
more info on birthstones

Hallmarks
Illegible remains.
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
width across the ring head 1,67 cm (0,66 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
7,50 gram (4,82 dwt)

Ring size Continental EU: 61 & 19½ , Size USA: 9½ , Size UK: S½

Resizing
Free resizing (only for extreme resizing we have to charge).
more info on ring sizes

Adin Reference Nº
26106-0234

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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