Yard Inc. diamond and ruby cocktail ring, American, circa 1935.

This ring is in excellent condition.

Born the son of a railroad conductor in New Jersey in 1885, the famed jeweller Raymond Yard began his career aged 13 as an errand boy for the exclusive American jewellery, Marcus & Co. Eventually, John D. Rockefeller Jr. — one of the world’s wealthiest men at the time — advised Yard to go it alone, and in 1922 he opened his first store on Fifth Avenue, creating exceptional jewels for some of the wealthiest people in America at the time. Known for using only the finest stones, he earned a reputation as a true perfectionist which is evidenced in his exquisite designs. Yard first introduced asymmetrical cocktail rings, also known as ‘sport’ rings, in the 1930’s. They became increasingly substantial pieces of jewellery in the following decade, often set with sizable centre stones. A similar ring, differing only in the shape of the central diamond, appears in 'Yard:The Life and Magnificent Jewelry of Raymond C. Yard', by Natasha Kuzmanovic, fig. 313. Today, antique pieces by Raymond Yard are scarce, in part due to the fact he worked meticulously on each piece, ensuring every item that left his workshop met his high standards for quality and refined craftsmanship, coupled with the fact that many of his pieces would would have belonged to American high society. Some of Yard's most sought-after pieces include his animal brooches, including his ever-popular bow-tied rabbit character.