Description:

: A CALLIGRAPHIC INSCRIBED PINK GEMSTONE RING ON SILVER, 19TH CENTURY, PERSIA
Qajar Iran, 19th century

Description:
A silver ring featuring a finely engraved pink gemstone intaglio in a soft oval form, inscribed in elegant nastaʿlīq script. The calligraphy is framed by swirling floral scrolls that fill the field with ornamental balance. The pink gemstone, possibly dyed quartz or spinel, displays a luminous clarity, set within a robust silver bezel of octagonal form, with subtle stepped detailing on the shoulders.

This type of calligraphic ring, both devotional and decorative, reflects the Qajar-era reverence for the art of inscription. The pairing of precise script and bold geometric form suggests both a spiritual and a stylistic function.

Dimensions:
Internal Diameter: 1.9 cm
Weight: 19g

Comparable examples:

  • A Persian silver ring with pink quartz intaglio, Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, London, 26 April 2017, Lot 101, sold for £3,750. 

  • A Qajar inscribed gemstone ring with octagonal bezel, Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, London, 25 October 2016, Lot 115, sold for £3,500. 

  • A related 19th-century Persian ring with floral-script intaglio, The al-Sabah Collection, published in Islamic Rings and Talismans, Scarce, 2008.

Provenance:
Private UK collection

Note:
The combination of octagonal mount and oval gem illustrates a visual contrast popular in Qajar jewellery. Pink gemstones were associated with affection and piety, and rings of this nature often served dual roles as devotional objects and symbols of refined taste.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

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£10,000 £19,999 £1,000
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£500,000 £999,999 £50,000
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