French Art Deco - Burma Ruby-princess cut-20ctw (invisible set) / DB-0.50ctw / 181 grams / 2.16x 3.31 inches

This French Art Deco platinum hinged box features a central band of invisibly set 20-carat princess-cut Burma rubies in vivid pigeon's-blood red, accented by a row of five baguette-cut diamonds totaling 0.50 carats, flanked by high-polish platinum panels on either side. The piece measures 2.16 x 3.31 inches and weighs 181 grams of platinum, a masterwork of Art Deco gem-setting craft.

The platinum body is executed with the characteristic precision of French Art Deco craftsmanship — razor-sharp corners softened only slightly at the edges, with a mirror-polished surface that serves as the perfect foil to the ruby band's intense chromatic density. The invisible setting technique, developed in Paris in the 1930s, allows the rubies to sit flush with no visible metal between them, creating an uninterrupted crimson surface of extraordinary visual impact. The five baguette diamonds set horizontally across the ruby band function as the clasp-release mechanism, their white brilliance providing a perfect tonal counterpoint to the saturated red above and below.

Burma rubies — from the Mogok Valley of present-day Myanmar — are universally regarded as the finest rubies in the world, prized for their characteristic "pigeon's blood" red, a pure, slightly fluorescent crimson with a blue undertone that no other ruby-producing region has ever replicated. At 20 carats total weight in an invisible set configuration, the quantity and quality of ruby material represented here is exceptional by any standard; assembling matched princess-cut Burma rubies of this caliber for invisible setting is a feat of gem sourcing that becomes rarer with each passing decade. The 0.50 carats of baguette diamonds are precisely calibrated in both size and color, ensuring they complement without competing with the ruby band's commanding presence.