An Exceptional Early 20th Century Ring by Marcus & Co.

This exceptional jewel crafted by Marcus & Co. represents the firms dedication to fantastic designs and superior craftsmanship. Set with two unheated sapphires,  an AGL report confirms one being of Burmese origin and the other of Australian origin. Two old mine cut diamonds are set side by side and glow in the platinum mounting. Unheated Burmese sapphires have long been among the most sought-after gemstones in the world. A matched pair of unheated sapphires in an original period ring by a major American house is a rare find.

About Marcus & Co.

Marcus & Co. was one of the great American jewelry houses of the Gilded Age and early twentieth century. Its founder, Herman Marcus, was a German-born jeweler trained in Dresden who came to New York in 1850 and worked for several prestigious firms before founding Marcus & Co. in 1892. He trained with Ellemeyer, the Dresden court jewelers, and later worked at both Tiffany & Co. and Ball, Black & Co. His sons, George Elder Marcus and William Marcus, ran the company after his death. Marcus and Co. – Brooch – American – The Metropolitan Museum of Art +2

The Metropolitan Museum of Art writes that at its height, the firm’s reputation rivaled that of Tiffany & Co. Marcus & Co. was known for its delicate plique-à-jour enamel work and its diamond jewelry of the 1920s and ’30s, and it helped introduce gems that were rarely used at the time, including spinels, zircons, chrysoberyls, and peridots. That passion for exceptional colored stones is on full display in this ring. John D. Rockefeller was among the firm’s clients, and so was Marjorie Merriweather Post. Her emerald and diamond brooch, made by Oscar Heyman Brothers for Marcus and Company in 1929, is now a highlight of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Marcus and Co. – Brooch – American – The Metropolitan Museum of Art +3

Interest in the firm has grown considerably in recent years. A cache of design archives was recently rediscovered, and additional design books inherited from Marcus descendants were found at the Morse Museum in Winter Park, Florida. Together these finds made possible the new book Marcus & Co.: Three Generations of New York Jewelers by Beth Carver Wees, Curator Emerita of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Sheila Barron Smithie. Rediscovering Marcus & Co.: Macklowe Gallery Brings Masterpieces Into the Spotlight +3

Marcus & Co. in Museum Collections

• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: The Beyond Brilliance jewelry gallery displays twentieth-century designs by Marcus & Co., including a necklace from about 1905 alongside the Post emerald brooch. View the gallery mfamfa
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: a plique-à-jour enamel brooch, a gold double ring from about 1895 set with diamonds and an emerald (view), and a turquoise scarab pendant metmuseum
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.: an emerald and diamond brooch in the Renaissance Revival style, dated 1900–1930 (view)

This ring can be sized within reason.

Interior of the shank is inscribed Lambda (symbol they used for bespoke pieces) 62242 and “MARCUS”

Platinum and Yellow Gold

Old Mine Cut Diamonds Weigh Approximately 2.50 carats Total

AGL Report Available

CONDITION: The longer Burmese sapphire is slightly abraded but structurally sound. I would NOT recommend removing it from the mounting to polish. The bottom of the shank has been sized in the past so the design is slightly worn. The “MARCUS” inscription is worn but still legible.