Featured Victorian diamond and ruby ring

Hey everyone, it feels like it's been a while, but I've come back with a bit of a curiosity. I'm hoping to pass on some information to my mother about a piece of jewellery she has, and I'm wanting to double check the research I've done.
I'll warn you now, the pictures aren't the greatest as I was not in the best circumstances to take them. I can try and get new ones but it will take some time as this does belong to my mother.

• Media
• Information

• 

• Album:

  Antique Jewellery

  Uploaded By:

  B.Stirling

  Date:

  Wednesday at 2:50 AM

  View Count:

  29

  Comment Count:

  0

  EXIF Data (Expand / Collapse)

  File Size:

  594 KB

  Mime Type:

  image/jpeg

  Width:

  1585px

  Height:

  2113px

   

  Note: EXIF data is stored on valid file types when a photo is uploaded. The photo may have been manipulated since upload (rotated, flipped, cropped etc).

Starburst Ring1 by B.Stirling posted Jul 15, 2025 at 11:50 PM

Top view of ring

• Media
• Information

• 

• Album:

  Antique Jewellery

  Uploaded By:

  B.Stirling

  Date:

  Wednesday at 2:50 AM

  View Count:

  27

  Comment Count:

  0

  EXIF Data (Expand / Collapse)

  File Size:

  457.4 KB

  Mime Type:

  image/jpeg

  Width:

  1378px

  Height:

  1336px

   

  Note: EXIF data is stored on valid file types when a photo is uploaded. The photo may have been manipulated since upload (rotated, flipped, cropped etc).

Starburst Ring2 by B.Stirling posted Jul 15, 2025 at 11:50 PM

Side view (opposite side is identical)

• Media
• Information

• 

• Album:

  Antique Jewellery

  Uploaded By:

  B.Stirling

  Date:

  Wednesday at 2:50 AM

  View Count:

  31

  Comment Count:

  0

  EXIF Data (Expand / Collapse)

  File Size:

  338.2 KB

  Mime Type:

  image/jpeg

  Width:

  1438px

  Height:

  1916px

   

  Note: EXIF data is stored on valid file types when a photo is uploaded. The photo may have been manipulated since upload (rotated, flipped, cropped etc).

Starburst Ring3 by B.Stirling posted Jul 15, 2025 at 11:50 PM

Inner markings on ring

From what I've found on this piece the markings indicate it's a Chester assay and 18k gold, but I can't seem to pinpoint a date. Any Chester assay marking charts I've found have all been for silver, would they have used the same for gold, or at least for the date stamp with the 'R'? I've looked up similar rings and I've found a lot of them in the late 1800s, but none have that 'R'. Also, it looks like there's a teeny tiny diamond chip before the start of the markings on the left of the crown, does that mean anything? This ring belonged to a very dear friend of my mom's who has since passed on, she doesn't know much about it other than family heirloom, I'm just wanting to be able to share some correct information to her.

 

Beautiful little ring. I would wear it! This site says 1900-01 and yes that lines up with the silver hallmarks.

 

Ditto. So that means Victorian, rather than Edwardian. Chester marks are pretty rare, so that is a bonus.

They are easier to take off the finger.

 

Thank you for that site. I have no idea why it wouldn't pop up on my google searches. Good to know that hallmarks for gold and silver were pretty much the same date wise too, that information is very helpful for any later exploring I ever do.

Thank you as well Any Jewelry for correcting the Era for me.

I did a little more looking into the style of the ring and I came up with what's called "gypsy style" so I'm digging into the history of that now. It'll be neat to pass this on to my mom, even if the familial history of the ring is lost.

 

It isn't as much Gypsy style, as that the stones are gypsy set. Gypsy setting of stones is when the stones are set deeply into the gold or silver, almost flush with the surface of the ringband.