Victorian 18ct Gold Banded Agate and Diamond Ring, Henry Griffiths and Sons

A substantial late Victorian ring in 18ct yellow gold, maker's mark HG&S for Henry Griffiths and Sons of Birmingham. The large oval banded agate displays strong black and white contrast, set within a plain bezel with characteristically architectural fan shoulders, a detail closely associated with Birmingham goldsmithing of the 1880s and 1890s.
To the centre of the stone, an applied gold eight-point star setting holds a rose-cut diamond. The star set against the dark agate evokes the Victorian fascination with the night sky, a motif that carried both celestial and sentimental resonance throughout the late 19th century. The eight-point star was associated with divine guidance and the soul, and the combination of dark stone and diamond was understood by Victorian buyers as a deliberate visual language: the night sky and the star within it.
11 grams. UK P. US 7.5. EU 56.  Stamped 18ct gold. Maker's mark HG&S.