Stunning Boulder Opal and Emerald Ring

Koroit, Queensland, Australia
Designed by Jane Taylor
With a flair for the unusual, the eye of the designer is apparent in this exceptional freeform Boulder opal ring, weighing approximately 33.0 carats. Notable for its vibrant green spider web veining in the brown ironstone matrix the unique stone is encircled by a single row of circular-cut emeralds, total weight of approximately 0.92 carats, possessing a brilliant green color echoing the hues of the opal's veining, mounted in 18K yellow gold, size 6.

Provenance: Purchased from Bonhams, November 10, 2010, The Nature of Opals Auction. Sale 19039, lot 50.

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19039/lot/50/

GLORIA MANNEY

Every curator, dealer and auctioneer who has met Gloria Manney called her "one of a kind" or said, "they don't make 'em like her anymore." She was a voracious collector with a style, intelligence, curiosity, courage and point of view all her own.

Along with her husband, Richard Manney, they researched and collected an amazing array of material culture and built entire markets for objects by aiding scholars in their work, including rare books and 18th and 19th Century fine and decorative arts. Their collections included the greatest assemblages of American portrait miniatures and American colonial goldsmithing, both now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Their furniture resides at Winterthur, The Met and The Art Institute of Chicago.

But above all the objects in their lives, Opals were Gloria's first and foremost passion from childhood. They were her birthstone, her playthings, and her favorite adornment. No opal passed her by, as she believed every opal needed a home. A magpie by nature, their beauty entranced her. Gloria worked with dealers and auctioneers around the world to find opals. And the opals found her.