Marcus & Co. Ceylon sapphire cabochon and diamond cluster ring, American, circa 1910.

This ring is in excellent condition.

Like many leading jewellers working around the turn of the 20th century, Marcus & Co. catered to the prevailing taste for platinum-topped gold jewellery set with diamonds and noble gemstones. This style, known as Edwardian or Belle Époque, was characterised by delicate, lace-like settings and graceful motifs of bows, tassels, floral garlands and foliate swags.
Founded in New York in 1892 by German-born jeweller Herman Marcus (1828–1899) and his sons, Marcus & Co. became one of America's most distinguished jewellery houses. Prior to establishing the firm, Herman Marcus had worked for the prestigious jewellers Tiffany & Co. and Black, Starr & Frost, and had also partnered with Theodore B. Starr.
The firm was particularly celebrated for its innovative use of colour, combining richly coloured gemstones and enamel in bold, unexpected combinations.
Marcus & Co.'s reputation within the trade was such that, following the death of Herman Marcus in 1899, ‘The Jeweler's Circular’ described him as one of the most knowledgeable figures in the New York jewellery trade. The firm continued to flourish beyond his lifetime, remaining in business until 1942.