18ct gold ring with diamond - no hallmark

[hettie2000]

Okkkk... what happened to this thread?

Ahem.

I learned that the diamond of this ring is held in a 'Belcher setting'. Quite a few of this design come up if you google it. According to the following website, it tends to be an American design: http://www.woodenskate.com/wsvc/shortcase/pages/glossary/main.html

I found an online book listing hundreds of maker's marks for English goldsmiths but didn't find the 'D in a lozenge/diamond'. But I did come across a couple of references to similar marks on other websites, including this one: http://www.trocadero.com/stores/modemodern/items/632156/item632156.html

As for age, my great aunt married in 1920 and the ring has always been in the family. It could have been bought later, I suppose, but there hasn't been any mention of it  

[Ipcress]

1920's or a bit earlier would be fine in my opinion for that style and the typeface used on the marks.
The lozenge mark could be a retailer.

[hettie2000]

Thanks Ipcress . Hmm, I'll have a look for retailers of the time instead...

[mart]

I enlarged the Trocadero link and looked at the mark on it and it looks like yours !!

[mart]

http://jarrett.fabpage.com/jewelrytm5.htm
Here you go !! This company had two marks,, yours and an upright diamond with HD inside !! From New York so it is an American ring !!
Checked on the company and found out that it was founded in 1936, and also used Dason trademark, but when and in what order these were used, havent found yet !! Did read somewhere that trademarks were for a certain number of years so any jeweler could possibly go through several variations !!

[hettie2000]

Wow Mart!!! Thank you so much! I'm a very happy person *does a little dance*

I do a lot of family history research, and the surprise gift of this ring plus the help you (and others) have given me here has helped solve one of my family mysteries . It's a really lovely ring and means all the more to me now!

PS I just saw your edit... we're cross posting lol...I will check it out, but it's very promising and I'm still a happy bunny ;-)

[mart]

Still digging on this !! Problem is in cross checking same company on different sites to make sure info is correct,, spelling of the name is different !!  Don`t think that is a problem on this one because all lists same product,, rings,, and mostly wedding rings,, as what they made !!  Sometimes it just takes a bit more looking !! Will update if new info is found !!

[hettie2000]

I found this newspaper article dated March 1924;



If it's the same Henry Davidson, he was a salesman in 1924... and he lost rather a lot of diamonds!

[Ipcress]

I don't think a jewellers in New York would have a ring marked 18ct.

[hettie2000]

That's what confused me earlier in the thread, Ipcress - why would the ring be marked '18CT' (UK) but size '5' (US)? I've measured the ring and it does seem to be a US size 5. Could it be imported and then marked?

Too confusing! Maybe I'll never know for sure...

[mart]

I checked the UK registry marks and there is nothing even close !!  Also checked other rings with the mark and all had the same ct rather than K and all were from same company !!  Its always possible that Davidson was not born here and immigrated from the UK as many did !! There are no rules as to how it has to be marked so maybe he just used what the UK did !!
One thing of note is,, his mid century rings are very collectable now and some pretty fair prices compared to others !!

[hettie2000]

Like you, Mart, I haven't seen any other marks that are even similar...

I have found Henry Davidson on the US census - purely out of interest - and he was from Russia. He settle in NY in 1890 and his two sons continued the business until the 1970s by the looks of things. On the 1930 census, Henry describes himself as a 'wholesale merchant (of) jewelry'. I don't know how these things work so this may sound daft (!) but could he have been importing the gold bands and adding the diamonds himself?

[Ipcress]

I checked the UK registry marks and there is nothing even close !!  Also checked other rings with the mark and all had the same ct rather than K and all were from same company !!  Its always possible that Davidson was not born here and immigrated from the UK as many did !! There are no rules as to how it has to be marked so maybe he just used what the UK did !!
One thing of note is,, his mid century rings are very collectable now and some pretty fair prices compared to others !!

Could be, but there's another D in a diamond / lozenge on that same page and they won't be the only ones in the world.
Davidson's trademark was Dason and although this could have been made prior to that being registered, the D within a lozenge would not have been a registered trademark.
The family seem to be American. Henry, Sydney and Leo ran the company. Famous promoter Bill Graham worked in their shop.
It's a nice ring and but in my opinion is not stylish enough to be of much value, if any, above it's value in the gold and the diamond. It's probably worth more to Hettie for sentimental reasons.

[Ipcress]

That's what confused me earlier in the thread, Ipcress - why would the ring be marked '18CT' (UK) but size '5' (US)? I've measured the ring and it does seem to be a US size 5. Could it be imported and then marked?

Too confusing! Maybe I'll never know for sure...

It could have been made to order and it's a shame the true history has been lost ( if temporarily )
I've seen it before though - a family are adamant about the age of an item and you examine it and by the registered marks or whatever immediately know it's not that old.
People will also check Ebay where sellers often get dates wrong or claim something is older to try and increase it's value.

[mart]

The other mark has a period after the D.  !!!  It wasn`t mentioned by hettie2000 so was assuming it didn`t have one !!