Antique French Suffragette Paste Silver Ring c.1900

Description

A rare and highly collectible antique French Suffragette ring; beautifully formed as an openwork design set with pastes glass stones to imitate Amethyst, Emerald, and Diamonds. The whole is set in silver, and the shank has been given a gold vermeil finish.

The green, violet, and white colours became synonymous with women’s suffrage movements across Europe, as they represented their key message of ‘Give Women the Vote’. During this time, jewels were made with these colours so that women could express their support for the movement; overtly or covertly depending on the circles they moved in.

This example is particularly rare as it is French, with elegant Belle Epoque design and French hallmarks. The French women’s suffrage movement was founded by Hubertine Auclert, in 1876 when she formed the Société le droit des femmes (Rights of Women Society), and this was superseded by the French Union for Women’s Suffrage (UFSF) in 1908. Despite this, women were not given the right to vote in France until 1944.

An extraordinarily symbolic jewel, this would make a great addition ot any antique jewellery collection.

ERA: Belle Epoque c.1900

ORIGIN: French

MAKER: There is a makers mark but it’s extremely tiny and I’ve been unable to identify the exact maker.

MATERIAL: Paste glass, silver, and vermeil gold wash finish

SIZE:

• US – 7
• UK – O
• Length of central panel is 2.75cm
• Sizing is not recommended on this piece given the paste glass stones

WEIGHT: 3.5 grams

CONDITION: Lovely antique condition. Paste stones are all original – open back setting to the green and purple stones means they have a lovely bright colour. The white stones are closed back with some discoloration in parts but overall still sparkly. Under 10x magnification just two condition points to mention for utmost accuracy:

• Some signs of abrasion to the stones, commensurate with age but not hugely noticeable to the naked eye.
• Vermeil finish on the shank shows some slight wear commensurate with age, but overall a nice warm blush gold tone.

Video available on request. Box for illustration only but this piece will come beautifully gift wrapped.

CARE GUIDANCE: Not recommended for daily wear. Due to the closed back setting of the white stones, this piece should not be immersed in liquids, or sprayed with aerosols / perfumes. Clean gently with a soft toothbrush and polishing cloth.

SHIPPING: Free inside U.S. and to UK – see terms and conditions for details regarding customs charges etc.

RETURNS: Accepted – but please read the customer care page before purchase to ensure you understand the terms and conditions of sale.

TAGS: Antique French Suffragette Paste Silver Ring c.1900