An 18ct white gold ring in the Art Deco style, c.1970–80, set with five alternating rows of square step-cut rubies and brilliant-cut diamonds running across the width of the finger — 36 rubies totalling an estimated 1.9 carats and 24 diamonds totalling an estimated 0.6 carats. The design is built on contrast: the vivid, saturated red of the rubies against the cool white of the gold and the colourless brilliance of the diamonds, the alternating rows creating a striped pattern of colour and light that reads clearly from a distance and rewards close attention.

The square step-cut of the rubies — a format with open, parallel facets that emphasise the depth of colour in the stone rather than maximising sparkle — is a sympathetic choice for ruby, allowing the richness of the red to be seen without the distraction of excessive faceting. The brilliant-cut diamonds in the alternating rows provide the contrast of movement and light that the step-cut rubies do not, the two cuts working together to give the ring a surface that is both structured and alive. Hallmarked 750 (18ct white gold). At 10.5g the ring has a satisfying weight.

Ring size Q (UK).

The Details

• Circa: 1970–80
• Weight: 10.5g
• Rubies: 36 square step-cut, estimated 1.9 carats total
• Diamonds: 24 brilliant-cut, estimated 0.6 carats total
• Ring size: Q (UK)
• Hallmarks: 750 (18ct white gold)