A GOLD RING, SET WITH A STAR SAPPHIRE AND RUBIES, SOUTHEAST ASIA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
A GOLD RING, SET WITH A STAR SAPPHIRE AND RUBIES, SOUTHEAST ASIA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
The ring with a raised oval bezel, neatly set with a large golden star sapphire, encircled by a finely beaded border and four smaller pink cabochon rubies, the setting richly worked in relief with scrolling foliate designs. The shoulders and hoop continue the foliate decoration, the underside centered by a floral motif.Alloy composition: 68.59% gold, 28.62% silver, 2.78% copper. The lot was tested by the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Rubies: circa 0.11 g (0.56 carat). Golden star sapphire: circa 1.53 g (7.65 carat).Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. In December 2025, he was awarded medals of national recognition by the Royal Government of Cambodia for his exceptional contributions to the scientific study, preservation, and international understanding of Angkor and Koh Ker. Zelnik founded the Hungarian Southeast Asian Institute in the early 2000s. The Institute supported a range of research programs at Angkor and Koh Ker, including archaeological surveys, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) investigations, epigraphic studies, and historical research. These efforts have contributed to a deeper understanding of the Angkorian empire, the pre-Angkor period, and Cambodia’s prehistoric times. Research supported by the institute played a key role in raising international awareness of Koh Ker and led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Condition: Good condition with expected wear, manufacturing flaws, traces of use, small nicks and dents. The central stone with natural fissures and few tiny chips. The smaller stones with minor surface wear. The gold settings with light warping and small losses.Weight: 20 gDimensions: Width 3.5 cmThe present ring is distinguished by its large golden star sapphire, a rare, phenomenal variety of corundum displaying asterism, an optical effect produced by minute-oriented inclusions within the stone. Star sapphires are only rarely encountered in surviving Southeast Asian gold rings, one notable example from 14th century Champa is illustrated by Susan Ollemans, “Ancient Gold Rings from Asia: The Tuyet Nguyet Collection,” in Arts of Asia, vol. 47, no. 4, July-August 2017, pl. 21. Framed by four pink rubies and richly worked gold ornament, the central stone gives the ring a particularly striking appearance.Literature comparison:Compare a related gold ring set with a moonstone and rubies, Cambodia, dated to the 19th century, diameter 3 cm, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession no. 1944.73.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 28 July 2021, lot 1018 Price: HKD 44,100 or approx. EUR 5,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gem-set gold ‘flower and bird’ priest’s ring, Bali, Indonesia, 19th-early 20th century Expert remark: Compare the related raised cabochon setting, floral ornament, and subsidiary stones. Note the slightly smaller size (2.2 cm) and lower weight (8.6 g).
A GOLD RING, SET WITH A STAR SAPPHIRE AND RUBIES, SOUTHEAST ASIA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
The ring with a raised oval bezel, neatly set with a large golden star sapphire, encircled by a finely beaded border and four smaller pink cabochon rubies, the setting richly worked in relief with scrolling foliate designs. The shoulders and hoop continue the foliate decoration, the underside centered by a floral motif.Alloy composition: 68.59% gold, 28.62% silver, 2.78% copper. The lot was tested by the Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Rubies: circa 0.11 g (0.56 carat). Golden star sapphire: circa 1.53 g (7.65 carat).Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe. In December 2025, he was awarded medals of national recognition by the Royal Government of Cambodia for his exceptional contributions to the scientific study, preservation, and international understanding of Angkor and Koh Ker. Zelnik founded the Hungarian Southeast Asian Institute in the early 2000s. The Institute supported a range of research programs at Angkor and Koh Ker, including archaeological surveys, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) investigations, epigraphic studies, and historical research. These efforts have contributed to a deeper understanding of the Angkorian empire, the pre-Angkor period, and Cambodia’s prehistoric times. Research supported by the institute played a key role in raising international awareness of Koh Ker and led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Condition: Good condition with expected wear, manufacturing flaws, traces of use, small nicks and dents. The central stone with natural fissures and few tiny chips. The smaller stones with minor surface wear. The gold settings with light warping and small losses.Weight: 20 gDimensions: Width 3.5 cmThe present ring is distinguished by its large golden star sapphire, a rare, phenomenal variety of corundum displaying asterism, an optical effect produced by minute-oriented inclusions within the stone. Star sapphires are only rarely encountered in surviving Southeast Asian gold rings, one notable example from 14th century Champa is illustrated by Susan Ollemans, “Ancient Gold Rings from Asia: The Tuyet Nguyet Collection,” in Arts of Asia, vol. 47, no. 4, July-August 2017, pl. 21. Framed by four pink rubies and richly worked gold ornament, the central stone gives the ring a particularly striking appearance.Literature comparison:Compare a related gold ring set with a moonstone and rubies, Cambodia, dated to the 19th century, diameter 3 cm, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession no. 1944.73.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 28 July 2021, lot 1018 Price: HKD 44,100 or approx. EUR 5,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A gem-set gold ‘flower and bird’ priest’s ring, Bali, Indonesia, 19th-early 20th century Expert remark: Compare the related raised cabochon setting, floral ornament, and subsidiary stones. Note the slightly smaller size (2.2 cm) and lower weight (8.6 g).
