Art Deco Ruby Necklace Stud Earrings Burma 20k Vintage
Vintage Art Deco Ruby Necklace
Fine Art Deco Burmese ruby jewelry set comprising a collar necklace and a pair of stud earrings in 20k.
This is a rare set of vintage ruby jewelry set with unheated rubies of 35ctw (necklace) and 5ctw (earrings); the total weight of rubies is 40ctw.
These are natural Burmese rubies, clean and in that unmistakable pinkish red tone of Mogok stones.
The step cut of the rubies present a ‘modern’ edge to their whole, though they have individual presence from being set like glassy mirrors.
The rubies on the earrings are round; each stud is 23mm, a stylized floral Deco motif.
The subtle color of natural rubies is hard to explain, but the eye picks up color across the stones in a gentle way.
The rubies do not look beady or small, the stones on the necklace are striking through its red-white-gold color way.
The use of step cut stones in chevron and bib style is not typical, though the whole necklace wraps a classic Art Deco look.
This is a vintage period piece, set possibly in the 1960s, the necklace should date to earlier, showing traditional craftsmanship.
Each step cut ruby is framed in a bezel and prong set, then linked component by component (see last photo).
This organic technique to build from many components is observed in much of Burmese and Thai period jewelry.
In this way a large piece of jewelry gets flexibility and wears featherlight, and smaller stones take on magnified presence, ornate even.
The bib is 4cm wide and is designed to wear as a ruby tapestry collared around the neck, longest at 16″.
There is flexibility to wear this necklace choker length (shorten the chain), or longer and slightly below the clavicle.
It is hard to design with smaller stones, but such pieces show why a well-executed pattern is a classic in any culture, across time and trend.
Aside from the provenance of these stones, some vintage designs are both more classic (hence collectible) and more wearable than others.
Diamonds weigh 5ctw (necklace) and 1.76ctw (earrings); the total weight of diamonds is 6.76ctw.
