{"product_id":"art-deco-intaglio-untreated-ceylon-sapphire-ring-11-48-carats","title":"Art Deco Intaglio Untreated Ceylon Sapphire Ring, 11.48 Carats","description":"This rare Art Deco ring features a monumental engraved sapphire wax seal. Weighing 11.48 carats, the gem is accompanied by its GIA report verifying that it is free from heat treatment and that it originates in Ceylon. Celebrated for their vivid color, brilliance and historic prestige, sapphires from Ceylon—modern-day Sri Lanka—are among the most sought-after in the world, prized by collectors for their luminous blue hues and remarkable clarity. This unique cushion-cut example displays the ideal royal blue naturally, without treatment. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gem carving, known as intaglio, is an ancient art form that traces its origins to the 14th century BCE. Practiced by early civilizations in Mesopotamia, Assyria and Phoenicia, it later flourished in Greece and Rome, though the intricate techniques of intaglio carving required years of dedicated practice. Intaglio gems continued to appear in fashionable jewelry into the 19th and 20th centuries. This particular example displays a high-standing family’s elegant coat of arms with the Latin phrase “certum pete finem” beneath it. Originating from a line in the Roman poet Horace's Epistles, the phrase translates to “aim for a sure end” and symbolizes determination and a sense of purpose. Carved backwards, the phrase and its corresponding coat of arms are meant to be read properly once inverted onto a wax seal. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e White diamonds totaling 0.50 carat accent the main stone, incorporated into the ring’s intricate setting and band. Set in platinum. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/library.rauantiques.com\/Report_32-2935.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDownload the Report\u003c\/a\u003e","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45208725880967,"sku":"32-2935","price":135000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2935_1.png?v=1783718725","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/art-deco-intaglio-untreated-ceylon-sapphire-ring-11-48-carats","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}