Vintage 18ct gold ruby and diamond earrings

A vintage pair of earrings in 18ct gold. Polished gold bands sweep across one another like a loose knot, and between them run a line of rubies and a line of diamonds, so each earring reads as stripes of red, white and gold.

Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum, coloured by chromium. Set in a continuous line like this, the stones read as one band of colour rather than as separate gems, which is what gives a pair like this its presence.