Late Rococo Heart Shaped Diamond Crown Ring 1760's set with a 7.6 x 5.9 mm pear-shaped rose cut diamond (approx. 0.8 ct) with a crown and three smaller rose diamond. The setting worked in 18k yellow gold. Size : 7 1/4 Likely Flemish or Germanic in origin, the ring features a smooth convex posterior not uncommon with continental rings made during this period, along with typically Rococo fleur-de-lys openwork shoulders and a scrollwork shank. Similarly trifurcated shoulders connecting to a scrolled shank can be seen on a pear heart cluster ring in the State Historical Museum, Moscow (ОК 9586). With the exception of flat cuts or cabochons, nearly all 18th century faceted gemstone jewels representing a heart were rendered in a pear shape, largely due to historic gem-cutting inability to create brilliant-type faceted gems with a pronounced cleft (the brilliant clefted heart cut would not emerge until the late 19th c). The equivalence of the pear shape with a heart is supported by pear-shaped gems and clusters with heart-themed motifs, such as the crowned heart rings illustrated in “Le Grand Frisson” by Diana Scarisbrick (see p. 199 for a pear cluster crowned heart) or pear-heart shaped Stuart crystal pendants (for example, Royal Collection Trust RCIN 43841). The present ring face bears great similarity to the central cluster element of a Vlaams hart (a Flemish jewel representing the heart of Mary) in the Rijksmuseum (inv BK-1967-2)