Featured Questions on an unusual ring

I bought this ring at a thrift store a few years ago and was never able to figure out exactly what the stone is, how old it is, etc., etc. (it looks like maybe a hobbyist's work). The stone has a crack and chip on one end, but the ring was cheap and so unusual that I bought it anyway.

I'm now reorganizing my vintage jewelry collection, re-discovered it, and decided to use Google lens and research possible stones, which makes me wonder if it is (1) a 20s, 30s, 40s art glass stone, (2) dichronic glass, (3) ammolite, and (4) whether the setting is silver--there are no markings on the ring, but it sort of tests like silver using 18K acid (last photo).

I'm hoping someone will be able to tell me what it is and how old it might be.

 

silver amalgamate?

 

It's silver all right. The stone looks a foiled glass opal, maybe even foiled dragon's breath. It wouldn't surprise me if the stone is a replacement for one that fell out, or if that stone iself came loose and got banged up. You can see how askew the prongs are.

 

The stone is beautiful and may be dichroic. I only see this in your 2nd photo though. Even your first photo is harder to tell for sure. I also doubt it is the original stone, the ring does appear to be an older one, perhaps 1930s. If evelyb30 thinks it's silver, I agree with her assessment. She's got a great eye for jools.

 

Glad to hear you think it's silver. I didn't notice until now the prongs being askew. You might be right that the stone may have come loose, got banged up, and was reset, or the original stone was replaced.

 

Thank you antidiem. I like your opinion that it's perhaps 1930s. The stone shape looks odd for the design of the ring--seems it would look better with a rectangular stone, but the setting underneath is oval, so that must have been the shape of the original stone, if not what's there now.

 

Thank you evelyb30 for mentioning foiled glass. It made me think about vintage foiled glass jewelry I've seen, and the stone does have that look. I also looked up examples of dichroic glass, which antidiem mentioned, and some examples look very similar to foiled glass.

 

I have no idea what it is but I certainly would have grabbed that at the thrift. Intriguiging!!

I might have thought an artisan piece, but the floral border looks older. A real mystery!

Is it sized to fit a woman's hand?

 

Stone is dichroic glass and a fair bit newer than the ring. That style of band is typical of twenties and thirties Czech and German. I’d think it had an oblong glass or whatever stone.

 

Yes, it's a woman's size--about 6.

 

Thank you Ownedbybear for your mention of 20's and 30's Czech and German for the style of band--that sounds more likely than my thought of it being a hobbyist's creation. I'm not very knowledgeable about dichroic glass, but I've seen a few examples "of dichroic foiled" glass jewelry online, so maybe it could be both??? Or are people just using both terms to get more views when there's no such thing.

 

A Carnelian chunk would have been appropriate, but who knows how long that foiled bit has been in there.

 

It's glass that can be different colors....which can be from layers of oxides, or disbursement of it in the glass. I have pendants that have this exact same look, bought from a local jeweler in the 00s. It's the layered kind. I can see where someone would call it "foiled" since it is a thin layer of metal oxide in some cases.

 

Thank you mirana for that explanation.

 

Love it. It looks inspired by tank rings, but if it is German it could pre-date the tank ring.

 

Thank you AJ...I had to look up tank ring...hadn't heard that term before and didn't realize it related to army tanks. I can see how my ring could have been inspired by "tank" rings unless, as you said, it's German and pre-WWII.

In case there are others like me who aren't familiar with the term tank ring, I found a website (bijouxbaume.com) that says, "The vintage tank ring is an atypical massive antique ring. The war jewel was named after the tanks and buildings of this war period." [1940-1950]