Fully insured, free worldwide shipping

A poniatowski gem, 18th century, amethyst intaglio ring, Cartier

£25,000
SKU: ARB-394

This beautiful ring has sold. Contact us for advice on finding a similar one:

Tap to message via WhatsApp.

Call Sam on 07426732855

Email: info@antiqueringboutique.com

Delivery and Shipping

We provide free express shipping on all online orders.

For UK orders, orders are shipped via Royal Mail Special Delivery, the working day after the payment has cleared. Please allow 1-2 business days for your order to arrive.

For orders from all other countries, orders are shipped via FedEx or DHL, the working day after the payment has cleared. Please allow 4-5 business days for your order to arrive.

Both UK and international shipments are fully tracked and traceable and require a signature from customers upon receipt.

More information on delivery.

Resizing rings

The majority of our rings are eligible for a first time complimentary re-size upon completing your purchase.

Please add this requirement into 'special instructions for us' during checkout, and we will be in touch to confirm this.

Some rings cannot be resized due to the material composition. The ring description will tell you either way.

This ring is sold, sorry. See similar rings:

The large and beautifully coloured amethyst in this ring is carved with an 18th century intaglio depicting Hercules (wearing the skin of the Nemean lion he recently slew), shooting an arrow into the figure of Hades/Pluto, the King of the Underworld, who is holding a trident, during battle in defence of the city of Pylos. In the corner are the three heads of Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guards the gates of the Underworld. Underneath is a copied signature KPOMOY, the signature of Cronius, an ancient Greek carver of gemstones.

This extraordinary 18th century intaglio in the ancient style can be traced directly to the collection of Prince Stanislas Poniatowski (1754-1833). Prince Stanislas was the nephew of the last King of Poland, Stanislas II Augustus, and a key figure of the 18th century Polish/Lithuanian government, acting as Grand Treasurer of the Grandy Duchy of Lithuania and Governer of Stryj. He was also an avid antiquarian and patron of the arts, who commissioned around 2500 carved gems from a group of gem engravers in Rome, depicting a number of Greco-Roman historical and mythological scenes, primarily using literature as their source material. Poniatowski encouraged the belief that these were ancient gems rather than contemporary works, and published details of his collection in his own Catalogue des Pierres Gravees Antiques de S.A. le Prince Stanislas Poniatowski in 1830.

Upon the prince’s death, his collection was sold at auction through Christie’s in London in 1839, and the collection was dispersed. A large portion of the collection was purchased by the collector John Tyrrell, who painstakingly took plaster casts of each of his purchases, and recorded their subject matter and the stone they were carved in. Tyrrell tried to sell his portion of the collection to the British Museum, but once it was discovered that the carvings weren’t ancient as previously believed, this fell through, and Tyrrell was forced to once again disperse the jewels.

Nearly two centuries after they were sold, the Poniatowski gems are now recognised as an important triumph of neoclassical gem carving, but due to their dispersal on the market, most have disappeared, our only detailed resource being Tyrrell’s collection of casts, which are now housed at the University of Oxford. Luckily, this exact intaglio is recorded among them. Its provenance after Tyrrell’s dispersal is unknown, but its mount, signed Monture Cartier means that, probably in the 1940s, it was taken to renowned jewellery house Cartier by its owner for remounting.

This exciting rediscovery represents an extremely rare opportunity to purchase a superb carved gem with royal provenance, from a storied, historic collection, mounted as a stylish mid-century statement ring by the world’s most famous jewellery house.

Provenance:

The collection of Prince Stanislas Poniatowski (1754-1833)

Sold at Christie's, London: 1839, Lot 2292

Purchased by John Tyrrell Esq.


The plaster cast can be found at the Beazley Archive at the University of Oxford, reference no. T434, which can be accessed here.


To learn more about intaglio rings, read our Notebook entry here.

Ask about this ring

Ask any questions, request more photos or arrange a viewing appointment.

Find an antique or vintage ring by gem

Sapphire

Diamond sapphire | Sapphire cluster | Gold sapphire | Platinum sapphire | Edwardian sapphire | Sapphire Art Deco | Sri Lankan Sapphire | Burmese Sapphires and Rubies | Victorian sapphire | Belle Époque sapphire | Victorian sapphire engagement | Yellow sapphire | Green sapphire | Blue sapphire | Pink sapphire | Sapphire engagement | All sapphire

Diamond

Diamond gold | Diamond platinum | Diamond sapphire | Diamond emerald | Diamond ruby | Diamond cluster | Diamond pearl | Diamond five stone | Diamond solitaire | Diamond opal | Victorian diamond five stone | Victorian diamond five stone engagement | Victorian diamond only | Victorian diamond only engagement | Diamond Art Deco | All diamond

Emerald

Diamond emerald | Emerald platinum | Emerald gold | Emerald engagement | Emerald cluster | Emerald Art Deco engagement | Emerald Art Deco | Victorian emerald | All emerald

Ruby

Diamond ruby | Ruby gold | Ruby platinum | Ruby cluster | Ruby Art Deco | Edwardian ruby | Victorian Ruby | Belle Époque ruby | Ruby engagement | All ruby

Amethyst

Amethyst gold | Amethyst platinum | Amethyst Art Deco | All amethyst

Aquamarine

Aquamarine gold | Aquamarine platinum | Aquamarine Art Deco | All aquamarine

Garnet

Garnet gold | Garnet platinum | Garnet Art Deco | All garnet

Onyx

Onyx gold | Onyx platinum | Onyx Art Deco | All onyx

Opal

Diamond opal | Opal gold | Opal cluster | All opal

Pearl

Diamond pearl | Pearl platinum | Pearl gold | Pearl cluster | All pearl

Topaz

Topaz gold | Topaz platinum | Topaz cluster | All topaz

Other

Citrine gold | All Citrine | Peridot platinum | Peridot gold | All peridot | Spinel gold | All spinel | Tourmaline platinum | Tourmaline Art Deco | All tourmaline | All turquoise | Zircon platinum | All zircon

Frequently Asked Questions

Shipping

How long does UK shipping take?

UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail Special Delivery, the working day after the payment has cleared. Please allow 1-2 business days for your order to arrive.

Do you ship items internationally?

Yes, we provide free international express shipping on all online orders via FedEx or DHL, the working day after the payment has cleared. Local taxes and duties may apply. However, we currently do not ship to the following territories: Africa, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Israel, Lithuania, North Korea, Pakistan, Republic of Georgia, Russia, Turkey, etc.

Please allow 4-5 business days for your order to arrive. Local taxes and duties may apply. You can read our shipping page for more information.

Resizing

How does resizing work?

Most of our rings can be resized unless stated otherwise in the item description. Simply add your required size in the notes section at checkout, and our team will take care of the rest!

Please allow an additional 5 to 10 working days to the delivery time. If you require your order for a particular date, please get in touch as soon as possible, and we will do our best to accommodate.

You can purchase the ring and then return if for resizing if needed - if you buy an engagement ring, for instance, but it is not quite the right size for your partner. There is no additional charge for this but the buyer is responsible for the return postage and insurance.

What is my ring size?

Please consult the sizing guide here or contact us to get a more accurate gauge of your ring size.

Certificate

Does the ring come with a certificate?

Most of our rings come with gemmological certificates. If not, we can provide one for an additional charge. All of the rings are checked and examined by a professional gemologist before they reach the website.