I have never sourced anything quite like this before… A Gimmel (‘puzzle’) charm from a centuries-old German betrothal tradition, each half hand-engraved with an old verse that reads "what God has joined together, let no man put asunder" once they're reunited. A natural diamond on one side, a natural ruby on the other. These go for 2-3x my asking price since they are incredibly rare especially in this condition, size and karat!
Because of its scale, this was always made to be worn as a charm or threaded onto a chain rather than worn as a ring, it's incredibly rare to find one this size with both stones intact and the filigree this legible after centuries of wear.
Solid 18K gold in genuine antique condition, with soft, honest wear to the high points of the filigree consistent with true age.
Dimensions: Weight: 5.2g. Outer diameter: 17mm. Inner diameter: 11.7mm. Thickness: 3.7mm.
History: This is a genuine antique gimmel charm, two interlocking gold hoops in 18K gold that were originally made to separate, the kind German brides and grooms wore one half each during their engagement, then joined back together on the wedding day. The tradition dates back to the 1500s and 1600s, and this piece carries all the hallmarks of it: hand-chased filigree florals, a natural diamond set into one half and a natural ruby into the other, and the two halves engraved with an old German verse that reads, once joined, "Was Gott zusammenfüget, soll kein Mensch scheiden" ("What God has joined together, let no man put asunder"), straight from Mark 10:9. It's the same verse the Met has on a piece in their permanent collection.
