Skalet 14K Gold Freeform Bypass Ring — Red Corundum Cabochon & Two Diamonds, Size 9

Some rings whisper. This one makes an entrance.

Made in New York by the Skalet Manufacturing Co. — the "SKAL" stamp inside the band is theirs — this is a vintage freeform bypass ring from circa the 1960s–70s, when American cocktail rings went big, sculptural, and unapologetic. The high-polish 14K gold mount sweeps across the finger and crosses over itself, ending on one side in a pear-shaped red cabochon in a gold teardrop bezel, and on the other in a white-metal teardrop plaque set with two small round diamonds. Dealers today nickname this red-cabochon-and-two-diamonds formula "Soprano-style"; the ring itself is exactly what its stamp says it is — a Skalet original of its era, in the bold bypass form.

The red stone is a red corundum cabochon. What carries the ring is its gold, its form, its two diamonds, and its maker — all of which you can see for yourself in the photographs, including the hallmark macro and the unedited originals.

It is a commercial cast ring of its time, not bench work: the back is hollow, with the casting texture of the manufacture visible underneath, exactly as photographed. It has been worn and enjoyed, and it shows it — fine scratches and scuffs across the high-polish surfaces, and dark marks inside the shank near the head with darkened recesses under the head, all shown as they are in the photographs.

Details:

• Maker: Skalet Manufacturing Co. Inc., New York — stamped "14K SKAL" inside the shank, with a second small circled-A stamp (shown in the photographs; its meaning is not documented and we assign it none)
• Vintage, circa 1960s–1970s; freeform bypass design, cast manufacture with a hollow back
• 14K yellow gold mount; white-metal diamond plaque
• One pear-shaped red corundum cabochon
• Two small round diamonds
• Ring size 9
• Condition: good vintage condition, with honest wear — fine scratches and scuffs across the high-polish surfaces; dark marks inside the shank near the head and darkened recesses under the head (shown in the photographs, cause not determined); casting texture in the hollow underside; the hallmark stamp is partially soft with wear but legible. The cabochon sits fully in its bezel with no chip or crack visible, and both diamonds are present and seated, as the macro photographs show. Please review all photographs, including the unedited originals, before purchasing

Materials: 14K yellow gold, red corundum, diamond