amazing (in full sense of the meaning!) antique Victorian BIG Reverse Intaglio Essex Crystal Dog (looks like Chihuahua:-) Ring! crafted in solid 14k (at min) or higher yellow gold. gold shows patina (and also there is a decorative dark enamel circle - or looks like enamel, may be just deep patina - please see photos). the crystal itself in very good condition with only light wear, no cracks! the painting of the dog is very sharp, full of color and in good condition! my apologies, I could not get very good close photo of the painting as the light is reflecting from the surface and makes it impossible.also the gold background produces a lots if light/reflections like a mirror! when you turn the ring slowly, you can notice that the nose of the dog kind of turning as well towards the background (photo #8, because of golden mirror effect and because of the tallness and deepness of the crystal.) size approx 4.5 but can be sized. my jeweler uses Laser soldering and he can safely size up to 3-4 sizes. Please contact me if you need to resize. weight approx 10-11g, size approx 23x24mm. the earliest Essex crystals were done on GOLD foil. THIS ring has a golden background, not mother of pearl. it also has great detailing (even a brush strokes can be visible with magnification, even detailed brown hair (highlighted with lighter strokes to make it more realistic) on the ears; or darker red color on the collar where it naturally would be in shade!) and the" depth of the carving" makes the dog look very realistic - sign of the quality! Not all carved crystals are created equally though. There are cheap imitations of the technique produced at times. The best way to distinguish a fine crystal is to view it with a jewelers loupe or other ten power magnifier - especially from the side. On the very good crystals, you will notice the depth of the carving and the phenomenal detail - and you may also see that the crystal has slight chips which have appeared over time. If the crystal is in its original mounting, the age can be assessed from the background - the earliest were done on GOLD foil. THIS ring has a golden background, not mother of pearl, this ring has a crystal with VERY deep carving (you can almost look under the chin!) the image is very realistic!! As the art form developed, the backgrounds used differed. The foil was replaced by etched mother of pearl, and this was succeeded by plain mother of pearl. At one time, crystals were wrongfully attributed to William Essex, an artist well known for his miniature enamel work. Although he had no connection to the reverse intaglio process, many people commonly refer to Essex crystals even today. As alluded to earlier, there are only a handful of current artists who are considered to be masters of the craft. This technique is said to have begun in Europe, and the crystal process has been attributed to a Belgian artist named Emile Marius Pradier. Some of Pradier?s early pieces were signed, which makes them particularly appealing. Such was the beginning of a treasured art form which evolved into incredible works of art in miniature. Around 1860, Thomas Cooke began making crystals for Lambeth and Company in England. The crystals gained immediate favor, and as their popularity increased, Cooke trained a student to assist him. This student - Thomas Bean - later trained his own son and subsequently his grandson in the crystal making process. the black Chihuahua on the last photo is not for sale:-) smoke free environment and fast shipping! comes in a ring case! in a very good clean condition! thank you