Description
This is a vintage mid century 1940s-1960s men’s sterling silver initial ring with a fancy textured shank, black onyx square cut bezel set gemstone and a fancy Gothic letter M initial on the top. You can see it’s an old one as the initial is hand mounted into the stone with a screw and ball closure on the back of the drilled stone. The band is marked with an old full word block letter “STERLING” mark alongside an old hallmarked/punch mark. Ring size is 12 1/2. It will need a good polishing as it came from an estate and has not been touched in many decades. Size of top is 1/2″ square. The onyx stone is excellent. No chips, cracks, flakes, breaks, inclusions abrasions, deep scratches. The sterling ring itself is also excellent condition. No dents or dings, no tears or deep scratches. Never resized or altered. All original. No pulls on the band. The band is still as wide as when originally made; not worn down. Any age wear is on the surface which a professional polishing will remove. This is a lovely
- Design Period: The combination of a textured, bark-like or nugget-styled silver shank with a geometric, square-set black onyx stone face is highly characteristic of men’s casual fashion rings from the post-WWII era (late 1940s through the 1960s).
- The Letter “M”: The Gothic or Old English “M” applied to the center served as a personalized initial monogram. These rings were mass-blanked by manufacturers, allowing local department stores and neighborhood jewelers to solder on the customer’s specific initial at the point of sale.
