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Antique Symbolic Portrait Miniature Ring, Girl with Bird Cage Painting, 18th Century

Regular price $2,971.00 Sale price $3,714.00
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An extremely well-preserved Georgian miniature portrait of a young lady holding a bird cage. This unique ring dates circa 1780's and comes from a private collection in Germany. It will celebrate it's 150th birthday in only 7 years from now!

The girl is depicted seated lovingly holding a bird cage. Throughout history, the metaphor of the "bird in the cage" has been used to symbolize various aspects of human sexuality. This potent symbol captures the complexities, restrictions, and liberation associated with the expression of one's sexual desires awakening.

In the Victorian era, sexual repression reached its peak. Thus, conveyed by euphemism, in art, the real meanings were often hidden under the symbols that discreetly paraphrased a delicate nature of sensitive moments.

There are numerous 17th and 18th pieces of Dutch and French genre paintings depicting young girls, often wearing light dresses carrying or looking at the bird cage. Of the most famous 19th century works by Pre-Raphaelite John Everett Millais demonstrating a bird in the cage symbolism is 'Waking'. Depicting an innocent girl awakened apparently by a bird song. The girl glazes at the bird in surprise, questioning. Her awakening is very symbolic here suggested by the whites of her bed sheets and ruby-red color of her dolls' dress.

This ring miniature depicts a paraphrase of a young lady coming of age and being ready to explore her sensuality. 'Awakening by a bird song' here serves as a metaphor for a girl being 'awakened' for her intimate love and relationships. Refer to the art historians note as a provenance confirmation.

The ring is in it's original state with no alterations. No damage or wear to the beweiled rock crystal window - it is in a virtually as-new condition, despite the fact that the ring is almost 250 years old. It is a beautiful example of sentimental 18th century jewelry!

Details:
Metal: 9k gold, not marked
Miniature: hand-painted under rock crystal
Size: US 9, EU 19 or 59

Care

Hey there, bling lover! Time for some jewelry TLC, because even diamonds need a little pampering now and then. Here's the scoop:

1. Handle with Care:

Diamonds and other precious stones may be tough cookies, but they're not superheroes (despite of what a few well-known marketing commercials might say...). Avoid sudden impacts or dropping your jewels like they're hot – they can get a little banged up if they hit hard surfaces. Just like you wouldn't take your fancy city Bentley off-roading, keep your bling safe from heavy-duty action!

2. Shower Shenanigans:

We know, we know – singing in the shower with your sparkly pals sounds like a blast. But hold the waterworks! Shower steam can make your stones lose their sparkle, and soap grease residues can dull their shine and get into settings. Save the bling for after your scrub-a-dub session.

3. Kitchen Confessions:

Cooking up a storm? Keep your jewels on the bench, champ! Chemicals from cleaning products and cooking oils can tarnish metal coatings and dim the dazzle of your gemstones. In case the gemstones were filled or treated with extra color - oh my - they will suffer! And all that is a kitchen drama you don't need on your plate!

4. Hairspray Hijinks:

Spritzing your 'do with hairspray? Keep your jewelry out of the line of fire! Overspray can leave a sticky residue that's no fun for your gems and can be especially detrimental for moist-loving stones - like pearls and opals. Give your bling a break while you glam up your locks – they'll thank you for it!

5. Precious but Fragile:

Now, let's talk about opals and pearls – the delicate darlings of the gem world. Handle these beauties with extra care, as they're more fragile than your average gemstone. Avoid harsh chemicals, extreme temperatures, and rough handling to keep them shining bright. Most importantly, remeber this sweet couple loves to be properly moisturized. So wear them often to avoid surface drying out and keep them separate from our other treasures (especially so - tarnishing metals)!

Remember, a little love goes a long way when it comes to caring for your jewelry.

So keep those gems sparkling and your bling game strong! ✨💎🛁

Layaway

You are welcome to make use of our layaway service for all items over 1000 EUR. The full amount should be payed in three to six equal installments during a maximum of six months time frame (shorter or longer pay back periods are available upon our mutual consideration).


A down payment of 25% of the item price and a minimum of 250 EUR is charged once the layaway plan is confirmed.
If an item is not paid off fully within these three to six months (or other mutually agreed periods), the layaway is considered failed.


All layaways, including failed ones, are not refundable. All jewelry bought using layaway plans can not be returned, swapped or exchanged for another item.


Once the purchase price of the item is if fully paid, we will ship your order.

Shipping

We have you covered and ship globally with an insured, secure track & trace service. We have exlusive contracts with the top 3 express global service providers.

All items above 500 EUR are shipped with complimentary UPS, DHL or FeDex Express service. All purchases below 500 EUR will be sent via regular post.

All additional items are shipped free of charge.

Returns

According to the European laws and reglaions, our no-questions-asked return policy lasts 14 days. If you wish to return your jewelry, please reach out via email: pretty@prettydifferentshop.com within your return eligibility window of 14 calendar days since the receipt of your order.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be undamaged and in the same condition that you received it.
Customized jewelry (for example a ring which was sized for you or an altered chain) are exempt from this policy, hence can not be returned.

Refunds procedure
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund in case the jewelry arrived damaged.
In case of approval your refund will be processed within 7 calendar days, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of paymentyou have used.

Late or missing refunds
If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again.
Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted.
Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted.
If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at pretty@prettydifferentshop.com.

Layaway items
According yo our policies, layaway jewelry cannot be returned or refunded.

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