Description
A unique and important Sibyl Dunlop Arts and Crafts ring dating from the c1925 era and featuring the most wonderfully lively black opal cabochon. It is a statement piece of British jewellery history by a hugely respected and sought-after designer, which would be at home in any museum collection. The large cabochon of black opal has a midnight blue base with lots of vivid turquoise and electric green flashes as you move the ring. Such an impressive stone, at approx 17mm by 12.5mm. A quality Sibyl Dunlop ring is so very hard to come by nowadays. The ring was originally sold by the wonderful Tadema Gallery in London in 1989, for what equates in today’s money to £4,800.00. I have the original sales receipt.
This ring oozes the designs of Sibyl Dunlop, not only in her sublime choice of accompanying stones, but also in the way she has used contradictory shapes of stones. The large black opal is bezel-set with a tiny ropework bead detail at the base of the setting. There is a surrounding oval halo, with 8 square bezel-set blue chalcedonies. In between each chalcedony there is a silver representational motif of a flower. The blue chalcedonies elevate the whole design, as they stabilise the design in a lighter mid blue halo. The colour shifts as the ring moves are sublime.
The intricate detailing on the shoulders of the ring is lovely and there is a typical Sibyl band with a slim ropework detail over the main silver band. In particularly pleasing condition and clearly having been very well cared-for, the ring measures as approx UK M.5 (approx US 6.25).
A truly exceptional ring in every sense of the wordthe black opal alone is enough for the ring to be so special but to be a Sibyl design too-win win!
I will send in a new gift box as the boxes in the images are for display only. Complimentary international courier or else Special Delivery within the UK. Thank you.
Ref:dga
- Bank of England website used to establish inflation value since 1989
