Ruby and Diamond Ring

Accompanied by GIA report no. 1152958101 dated March 24, 2014 stating that the center cabochon ruby is natural corundum, with no indications of heating.Accompanied by AGL report no. CS 65500 dated January 12, 2015 stating that one ruby weighing 2.25 carats is of Burmese origin, with no indications of heating.

Accompanied by a sketch of a similar ring to the present lot, by Paul Flato.

Charming and whimsical, the present ring is reminiscent of designs produced by the equally whimsical jeweler Paul Flato in the 1930s. Born in Texas with a propensity for adventure and luxury, Flato arrived on the New York jewelry scene in the early 1920s. During this time, the bon vivant from Texas gained a foothold in New York society courtesy of the friendships formed though his former classmates at medical and business school, ultimately leading to his setting up his own atelier. With his client base well-established, Flato expanded his business to Los Angeles where he began designing for the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo and Katharine Hepburn. 

His iconic “puffy” or “fat” hearts were born out of a collaboration with Standard Oil heiress Millicent Rogers who, being theatrical in appearance and outsized in personality, was the perfect canvas for these colorful, energized creations. One particularly stunning example, slathered in rubies like a thick coating of raspberry jam and pierced by an arrow, was selected by Rogers for her 1939 photo shoot in Vogue. Although unsigned, the present ring is evocative of numerous pieces in the Flato archives, representing all the fun, familiarity, and passion one would expect from this great American jeweler.