Antique Art Nouveau ring 18k gold ruby carved ivory portrait French (7490)

Antique Art Nouveau ring. 18k yellow gold, a tiny ruby and carved ivory. Made in France circa 1895 - 1910.
Unisex - suitable for a man or a woman. A true museum piece.  

Measurements:

Weight is 9.8 grams. US size 7. 

Description :

A wide shank in gold textured like the bark of a tree. The bezel is a carved portrait of a woman - very Pre-Raphaelite in appearance and utterly divine. She has a garland of tiny flowers as a crown on her head. Behind this the back of the head is entirely enclosed in gold. The workmanship is outstanding with the carving so beautiful and rare that it really belongs in a museum. Items like this are almost never to be found. 

Marks and Metal:

Outside of shank with French owl mark - indicating 18k gold and maker is unknown. No maker's mark found.  

Condition:

Good with negligible wear commensurate with age.  Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.   

THE STORY:

The Pre-Raphaelites were a group of artists, largely in England during the 2nd half of the 19th century. As the name indicates, they were strongly influenced by the periods prior to and especially the Renaissance. At about the same time, or a little later, the Art Nouveau movement took off and this sculpture with the tiny flowers and attentional to detail is also typical of that style. This sculpted or carved portrait fits in very well with both these philosophies and styles. It was made in France with the incredible quality that only the French produced at the time. Very mythical in appearance.