18 Karat White Gold Belais Diamond Ring

This vintage Belais 18 karat white gold ring was made by hand sometime in the 1920's-1930's. It is set with a goregous .51 carat Old European Cut H/VS2 diamond. The Belais Manufacturing Co., founded by David Belais (1863 – June 5, 1933), was among the early manufacturers of white gold jewelry in the United States. During the late 19th and early 20th century, they experimented with various alloys for white gold as a substitute for platinum in jewelry, which was restricted during World War 1. Their mix of white gold was patented in 1920, composed of gold, zinc, and nickel.