ANTIQUE TOI ET MOI EUROPEAN OLD CUT DIAMOND 14K YELLOW GOLD, AND EMERALD RING

ANTIQUE / VINTAGE TOI ET MOI 14K YELLOW GOLD OLD MINE CUT DIAMOND AND EMERALD ring plain band having wrapped design with two tall eight-prong settings, gemstones comprising an Old European-cut diamond measuring approximately 5.8 x 5.6 x 3.5 mm with an estimated weight of 0.7 ct., and a round-cut emerald measuring approximately 5.6 x 5.6 x 4.5 mm. Unmarked, tested as 14K gold fineness.

Total weight with stones: 4.5 grams.

First half 20th century.

Ring size 7 1/4.

THE HISTORY OF TOI ET MOI RINGS

The most famous toi et moi ring was the one Napoléon Bonaparte gave to Joséphine de Beauharnais in 1796. She became his first wife three weeks later. The ring bore a pear-shaped sapphire and a pear-shaped diamond set together in a yellow gold ring. Due to the proximity of the stones, the ring represented two souls becoming one. The gems were opposite facing. Although the marriage ended, Joséphine kept the ring and passed it down to her daughter Hortense, later queen of Holland. It then went to Hortense’s son, Napoléon III, and his wife, Empress Eugénie. When it went up for auction in France at Osenat House, the anonymous winning bidder paid $949,000, almost 50 times the $20,000 Osenat estimate.

Most of our items are vintage or antique- usually rare and hard to find.  Kindly keep in mind that when going to bays GIA authentication there are times the XRF testers finds a 22k item to be 21k or a 14k to be 12k or 13k as the testing in antique and vintage times was without the technology of today:). Most of our items are vintage or antique- usually rare and hard to find.  Kindly keep in mind that when going to bays GIA authentication there are times the XRF testers finds a 22k item to be 21k or a 14k to be 12k or 13k as the testing in antique and vintage times was without the technology of today:).