Gothic revival diamond solitaire carved ring, attributed to Wièse. Set to centre with a round old cut diamond in an open back claw setting with an approximate weight of 1.10 carats, to an extremely ornate carved solitaire design featuring curving claws, exceptional pierced scrollwork throughout and open backholing, the broad integrated shoulders featuring Green Man openwork motifs which tapers to a solid D-shape shank. Marked 18 carat yellow gold, numbered '438', attributed to Wièse, French control mark, circa 1895.

The Green Man motif is found in many cultures around the world and from many time periods. The motif typically is a face surrounded by or composed of leaves and foliage and usually represents new life and nature.

During the latter half of the 19th century, goldsmiths turned increasingly towards the past, sourcing inspiration from ancient and medieval artefacts and reviving age-old techniques. At the forefront of these revival movements was Jules Wièse (1818-1890), who came to Paris from Berlin in 1839. Combining medieval motifs with traditional manufacturing methods, Wièse drew inspiration from Arthurian legend and other chivalric tales, as well as Gothic architecture and art forms. His work is highly sculptural, often featuring figures which could be either human or mythological in nature, many with a definite Gothic overtone.

Hidden in the ornate carved shoulders of this ring, which is attributed to Wièse, emerges the face of The Green Man. A motif found in many cultures around the world and spanning many eras, The Green Man is typically shown as a face surrounded by or composed of leaves and foliage, representing new life and nature.

Stamped to the interior of the band, is an owl with the number ’75’ in its belly, a French import mark used since 1893. This may seem like an incredibly small detail, but is one which lets us know that at some point in its life, this ring was imported into France. Furthermore, the number in the belly of the owl specifically relates to which area it was assay tested in, in this case, ‘75’ refers to the region of Paris.

This ring is in excellent condition.