Taylor Swift’s engagement ring designer, Artifex’s Kindred Lubeck, is heading to the auction block.
The jeweler has collaborated with Sotheby’s world-renowned auction house and gem dealer Anup Jogani on three exclusive rings, set to be auctioned off as part of The Gem Drop on Nov. 13 (though the auction officially opens for bidding on Nov. 10).
The collection of rings includes one 4.05 carat old mine diamond, one 8.66 carat cognac old mine diamond, and one 5.48 carat vivid blue sapphire, each set in gold.
Jogani sourced the three stones, while the rings were designed and set by Lubeck. “I really just let the stone do the talking,” the designer shared with Sotheby’s, adding, “If the stone is more of a geometric cut, you’ll see more geometric engraving,” for example.
With Swift’s ring, Lubeck has boosted the rise in popularity and knowledge surrounding antique stones.
The ring she designed for the 14-time Grammy winner is a bezel-set, elongated old mine-cut diamond on a hand-engraved 18K gold shank. The stone is estimated to measure between eight and ten carats.
It is the hand-engraved nature of Swift’s ring that makes Lubeck’s designs so unique. “My role in the jewelry world,” Lubeck told Sotheby’s, “is to keep handcraft alive.”
On the Today Show last month, the jeweler added, “It’s so zen. It is such a meditative experience for me to start engraving.”
Antique stones are hand-cut, creating maximum sparkle through larger cutlets and facets than are seen in most machine-cut diamonds today. Due to the artisan nature of the work, there is less precision and more uniqueness to each stone.
Though a modern brilliant cut might give way to more obvious sparkle, old mine and old European diamonds were cut to create a soft twinkle, which was especially noticeable under the candlelight of their times.
“You see how it has these big, broad facets,” the designer explained on “Today,” adding, “whereas modern cuts are more like a disco ball. They are super sparkly, while the old cuts are just a little bit more … the flashes are broader. It creates this romantic subtlety.”
With precise diamond grading now based on color, cut and clarity, the inclusions of antique stones have less bearing on total value. “Inclusions are seen as a sign of a stone’s individuality rather than its uniform perfection,” shares the auction house.
“People are looking for something that’s a little bit different, more special than your typical modern cuts, which tend to look alike,” added Kathleen Smith Craig, Sotheby’s Associate Specialist and Head of Sale for Fine Jewelry.
Sotheby’s estimates that all three rings will go for between $210,000 – $300,000, but auction prices are frequently realized far above projections. Stay tuned for the final hammer — or bid yourself — when these unique rings hit the auction block next week.
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