Posted 6 years ago
Kjane79
(69 items)
I bought this for myself for my 30th birthday a few years back because it caught my eye. I'd never seen a coat of arms set in a stone like this before. I was wondering if anyone could identify the maker's mark? It appears to be a w inside an upside down triangle that doesn't close all the way (or is open at the bottom where the point is supposed to be.) It's also marked 14k in case you can't make it out. It was hard to get a picture, but I tried. The stone is a lilac amethyst. Thanks for looking!
Think your mark is just imperfectly stamped so the triangle is not complete. Try looking into JJ White Mfg, Providence, RI. Here's a link for starters:
https://queenmayjewelry.com/products/antique-14k-white-gold-amethyst-diamond-art-deco-jj-white-co-ring
YESSSS! That's it! Thank you, cameosleuth! Now have you an idea why the cost of arms? Was this popular at one time? I've never seen anything like it before.
Could this maybe be kunzite instead of amethyst? Is there anyway I can tell?
Just boned up on kunzite. The shade of purple of your stone is a more blue purple than darker kunzites seem to be. The deeper the color, the more expensive a kunzite is. If this were such a stone, I don't think they would have spiked through it to attach the device on the front, which does not quite look like a coat of arms to me, mainly just a crown.
A general piece of advice is, when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras. :)
Gorgeous ring KJ and great solve Cameosleuth! !
Thank you. racer 4 the kind remark. :)
Thank you, cameosleuth! When I googled JJ White, I saw a couple rings with kunzite and I may have gotten a tad excited since the colors were so similar. Good point about adding the spike. It wouldn't make much sense to do that to a more valuable stone. I have added a picture so you could hopefully better see the coat of arms. Normally I'd guess that it was just added on after it was purchased to represent whomever's family line it belonged to, but it just matches the rest of the metal so exactly that I couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't made this way. Again, I absolutely could be wrong!
Peasejean55, antiquerose, fortapache, aura, Caperkid, Newfld, TassieDevil- thank you all for the love! Thank you, racer4four- I think it's gorgeous too!
Ah, now it does look like a coat of arms. I think it is original o the ring. As you noted, the metal of the arms goes so well with the metal work surrounding the stone. I'm afraid my areas of knowledge do not include heraldry. Think it's at least as likely that this has been cobbled together from traditional elements as that it is copied from some family's actual arms, which could get the jewelry company in a bit of trouble.
I frequently misread photos, so not sure if I am seeing something that is really there or a lighting artifact. On the left of the arms, around what I am going to call the lobe of the crown, is the line where the top of the stone (the table) meets the facet on the side curved & following the edge of the metal? Or is it that the metal crown overshoots the edges of the table by a tiny amount on each side?
Of course I can't find my triplet loupe, but it looks to me to extend a teeny bit past on both sides.
That looks a lot like the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority crest. But I know nothing about the ring itself, sorry.
It most surely does look like the ??? crest:
https://www.hjgreek.com/index.cfm?event=Product.showProduct&OrganizationCategory_ID=801&Product_ID=10567
My Greek kappa kappa gamma got converted to ??? when comment submitted. No special characters allowed.
the official gem stone of KKG is the sapphire. But the colors of KKG are various shades of blue (one lighter than the other), so it is possible if this is more blue violet. I would assume it was originally commissioned by a member. It would be extremely unusual for a non-member to wear the crest.
And I agree with Cameosleuth about the mark -- it is an incomplete triangle. I believe that is the Greek letters sigma within the delta which is also another KKG symbol. (the sigma can look like a W on its side).
It does appear to be the same crest! Thank you, Westiefanwestie! I never would have thought to link it to a sorority. I wasn't even aware they had crests. I still think the maker's mark is JJ White's. I haven't been able to find anything similar yet for Kappa Kappa Gamma, but I did find this one for the Kappa Delta sorority. It's an onyx 14k Osty Barton ring. So, maybe some of the better known jewelers made a few sorority rings for a time or were possibly commissioned to make one?
://m.ebay.com/itm/Kappa-Delta-Crest-Ring-Vintage-10k-Yellow-Gold-Onyx-Sorority-Greek-Society/311980852582?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20150519202348%26meid%3Df3ec93f240da41b09d0b06f7ab98a614%26pid%3D100408%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D14%26sd%3D311945144577&_trksid=p2349624.c100408.m2460
Try again...
https://m.ebay.com/itm/Kappa-Delta-Crest-Ring-Vintage-10k-Yellow-Gold-Onyx-Sorority-Greek-Society/311980852582?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20150519202348%26meid%3Df3ec93f240da41b09d0b06f7ab98a614%26pid%3D100408%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D14%26sd%3D311945144577&_trksid=p2349624.c100408.m2460
*Ostby Barton
I think yours is a lot higher quality than that one. I think it was privately commissioned. It is really unique. Enjoy it and know it represents a strong tradition of supporting women.
Full disclosure, I am a Kappa. I am not saying it's perfect, but for over 100 years, the Fraternity (because Kappa was started so early, it was called a Fraternity for women) was an extraordinary resource for women. If you needed a loan (at a time when women couldn't get loans at all), you could apply to the fraternity. It was a way for women to live away from home in a safe environment at universities (it sounds quaint, but given all that is happening on our campuses-- it filled a gap). I hope you feel proud of those women from 1870 onward when you wear it (and maybe it will give you a little confidence and strength as it has for many others). I was given my first job out of law school by another Kappa. It's about women helping women. I wish you the best.
Back in the day, my mother was a Pi Beta Phi at Iowa Wesleyan (then) College. She was similarly proud, particularly as her chapter, the second one to be established, could claim to be the oldest chapter in continued existence, the original in Illinois having had to disband. But she sure had a 'thing' about members of P.E.O.!
It's a lovely ring, Kjane. I too hope you wear it proudly.
Hi! I know this might sound strange but I just came across this post and I am in love with this ring! I am currently a member of the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma and I have been in search for an antique ring with our crest on it as our crest is very important to us! I know this is a long shot, but would you ever be interested in selling this? It would mean the world to me to be able to keep the legacy of the ring alive.