Double Helix : Art Deco Diamond Band in 18ct and Palladium by J. Bird of Melbourne, circa 1930s

Sold I do love an unusual makers mark, and this ring has one of my favourites: METEOR was the trading name of J. Bird & Son of Melbourne in the 1930s. Some fun facts about this firm include: J. Bird trained as a diamond setter in Birmingham, and set up shop with his son in Melbourne in 1910. The firm is still trading today! In 1992 they amalgamated with an old competitor – Fred Albrecht (established in 1875) to become Albrecht Bird. A double helix or ribbon of infinity traverses the top half of the ring, modelled in palladium. Each loop is grain set with a single cut diamond. Palladium, unlike white gold does not require any kind of re-plating of rhodium to keep the silvery-white look. Palladium is harder than any gold alloy and is 15% harder than platinum. It is the perfect precious metal of choice for designing wedding rings and other everyday jewellery due to its durability. The rest of the ring is modelled in buttery 18ct yellow gold. Manufacture  Handmade in 18ct yellow gold with a palladium top. Stamped 18ct PALL to the inside of the band with makers mark METEOR. The precious metals have been verified by XRF test. The single cut diamonds have been verified as natural earth mined diamonds by an independent gemologist, she has graded the stones as G-I in colour, VS clarity. The centre stone measures 3 points and the four side stones are 1.5 points each, with a combined weight of approximately 0.10 carats. The ring is 2.7mm wide at the face of the ring, tapering from the shoulders to 1.6mm at the back of the band. The band has a knife edge finish at the back. Sits 2.12mm high on the finger. Weighs 2.06 grams. Size  (Aus/UK) O (US) 7.25 (International) 55 somewhat resizable, please get in touch for a quote or to verify that it can be sized to your requirements. Condition Some contact wear on both sides of the ring has softened the engraved details on the sides, this is in keeping with a well loved ring of this age. No other faults to note. Ready for immediate and everyday wear.