Rings
Early Rings | Rings 20th Century and Later | Poesy & Sentinental
The 19th Century saw a dramatic change from the Georgian opulence in rings to the bolder, and more common, Victorian pieces.
Art Of Mourning
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | 14 June, 1802 |
| Dedication: | James Chafy (Esq) (Age 71) |
The mourning band above carries through the previous enameling along the band. The piece below from 1838 is a continuation of this style, but in its own form. The evolution of this piece began in the mid 18th Century with scrollwork shanks and thinner memorial bands.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | Early 19th Century |
From the turn of the 19th Century style of this piece, the anachronistic nature of the above ring clashes with its design. A skull is painted upon the hair memento and the shank itself is rolled in the fashion of the mid 18th Century, but the style is essentially very early 19th Century.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c. 1800 |
This particular shank from around 1800 twists the center glass panel into a diamond shape and pieces from around this time can reflect this style. The open shank design (here in a circular pattern) is linked to the piece below from 1800 (and below that from 1801) in its open and wirework style. For such a graceful time, these rings have a perfect style to match, not too large to be awkward like the navette style previous (though still in fashion).
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c. 1800 |
The period of 1800-1815 shows a decided shift in mourning rings. Their size becomes smaller and their function becomes more wearable. Hair under oval shaped glass is a common factor in jewellery of this time. Pearls become more popular as a material (symbolic of tears), as well as jet and turquoise (seen below).
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | 2 December 1800 |
| Dedication: | J.J |
This piece shares the same shank as the piece above, but with the addition of pearls and the later addition of chalcedony where the hair memento should be.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | Jan 14, 1801 |
| Dedication: | M. Harris (age 28) |
This piece shares the same shank as the piece above, but with the addition of pearls and the later addition of chalcedony where the hair memento should be.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c. 1815-30 |
As can be seen in the bold, rectangular face of this ring with the pearl surrounds, the trend towards materials was becoming prominent during the first quarter of the 19th Century..
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | 9 July 1810 |
| Dedication: | J Brougham |
Pieces such as the ones above and below have very heavy shanks and are highly detailed along the gold. This type of flourish is carried through until the 1830s, where it can be seen on mourning bands, lockets and other forms of memorial jewellery. Size of the glass panel of the hair memento varies, but the constant factor are the surrounding stones / materials.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c.1815 |
A rather perfect example for its time, this ring dating from c.1815 shows all the signs of what jewellery had become in the Regency period. The rectangle had become the most popular shape in jewellery, which (apart from miniatures) was ubiquitous. This has pearls on the shank as well as the bezel, and is in pristine condition. The hair memento was still worn prominently in jewellery at this time and had not made its way to the back of the ring to be a more personal concept.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | 9 Nov 1817 |
| Dedication: | Thomas Morris Esq, OB 9 Nov 1817 AE 62 |
The Neo-Gothic style is one of the most distinctive to follow the neoclassical movement in jewellery, marking a broad departure from the opulence of painted art and soft corners to heavy gold work and bold Gothic lettering. Most of the pieces that fall under this category are from the 1830s and 40s, which makes this band from 1817 quite an unusually early piece for its kind. The quality of this band is incredibly high compared with the later pieces, which are generally thinner and wider around the middle. This ring has incredibly dense gold work to the extremities of the band and the enamel work is bowed outwards. The Gothic lettering is quite small around the ring, with the ‘In Memory Of’ statement that would dominate memorial jewellery from this point on. Quite a fashionable piece for its time, breaking the fashionable conventions to apply a style that had previously been untested in mourning jewellery. The band was an evolution of the black enamelled band style that had come before, of which the above example from 1802 and examples in the Early Rings section can show.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c. 1810-20 |
A 3rd stage mourning piece, the turquoise (innocent love / love favours thee) was acceptable for wearing, replacing jet and often pearls. In a contrast to much of the jewellery in the early 19th Century, the colour is a vocal statement by the wearer.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c.1815 |
For the collector, pieces that are substandard in their condition may still be collectable for their value as defying convention for a piece of its kind or have important providence. This piece is quite typical of the first quarter of the 19th century and doesn’t have any unusual concepts about it, apart from the garnet/pearl combination and its large size. Be wary of pieces with substandard enamelwork and missing stones, as restoring a piece will never make it what it once was. As a collector, it’s best to keep these pieces for their historical value over their monetary value.
| Courtesy: | Sarah Nehama |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1818 |
| Dedication: | (inner) Wm. Armstrong Ob. 31st March 1818 at 55 (outer): Sacred Will I Keep Thy Dear Remains |
A piece with perfect enamel work is a rare treat to find. Too often, jewellery dealers and quick to repair enamel and clean goldwork to a point where it is obvious. Even more obvious are repairs to enamel, as anything short of stripping a piece and beginning again will not be perfect and due to the cold process of amending a piece, it will never be perfect. A piece is better if the enamel is in its original condition and untouched.
It is rare to see a piece that is as close to perfect as the day it was made – a piece as timeless as the literal tombstone used to commemorate the person. This is just one of those pieces – stunning enamelwork, a sentiment that is perfect and an overall construction that resonates a special keepsake for the person it was dedicated to. Note the band is without wear, the remarkable urn on the front and underneath the urn is the hair, or as band would say, the ‘Dear Remains’. This piece works in unison with itself and even the floral Rococo style gold work that was so common during the 1810s-30s is here in its perfection. Use this piece as the cornerstone of other pieces for its time and reference it while looking through others in Art of Mourning.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c. 1820 |
This piece from around 1820 shows the same prominent hair memento as the previous pieces, but is much larger in scale. The shank is much more slender than earlier pieces.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c. 1800-1820 |
The circular face for the hair memento in this piece with the pearl surrounds is more common of the turn of the 19th Century, with the shank connecting in the manner of a band. This motif can been seen in the previous Rings section with George Washington's mouning ring from c.1800.
| Country: | England |
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Worn in the third stage of mourning due to its colour and construction, this piece shows the use of a front and back memento area (though the reverse memento container has been lost and quite possibly the dedication). These compartments were usually sealed with gold or glass and are quite typical of around the mid to late 19th century.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | August 1834 |
| Dedication: | William Nethersole (age 33) |
Along the shank is the same scrollwork last seen in the piece from 1810. The shank is not so heavy as before, but the detail work remains mostly the same. Enamel is now used instead of surrounding pearls, jet or other materials, but the hair memento remains the same. A much thinner piece, rings post 1830s lose their heavy flourishes for simpler designs (though this can't be said for brooches).
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | 5 November, 1838 |
| Dedication: | Rob H. Gibson (age 29) |
Mourning bands during the 1830s are more common than most other 1830s rings. The above example shows the heavy reliance on Gothic type and the scrollwork along the gold edges.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | April 11, 1843 |
| Dedication: | God's blessing be on me & Thee. / Fannie Westbrook, ob April 11, 1843 AE 74 |
Intaglios set in rings are more popular with the male side of society and can range from family crests and monograms to personal or society based symbols. Though worn on rings throughout history, the 19th century wearing of intaglios rebounded from the popularity of fobs which had changed in men’s fashion from functional stone-based items for sealing wax to metal monograms or sentimental tokens worn on the watch fob chain. The stones moved back to the fingers as they had since ancient civilisations. As for the leg armour on this ring, it’s no doubt family specific, which can be drawn from the names upon the back. Stylistically, this form of shield and size is typical of the mid 19th century and still continues to be manufactured today. This particular ring with a bloodstone intaglio also doubles for a mourning ring.
| Courtesy: | Barbara Robbins |
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| Country: | England |
| Year: | 24th November, 1848 |
| Dedication: | Alexander Schevn |
Another example of the 19th Century Rococo revival in jewellery. Other examples can be seen in the Necklaces and Chains and Lockets and Accessories areas. Very elegant in its use of the forget-me-not with diamond (a form that would carry through until the early 20th Century) and the Rococo scrollwork to the love heart shape, this ring is understated and quite beautiful. As can be seen with the memento placed under glass in a heart shaped compartment in the back, fashion would dictate this would be a popular place for the memento rather than on display.
| Courtesy: | Barbara Robbins |
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| Year: | c.1850/60 |
This obscure Faith, Hope and Charity ring from the mid 19th century is an impressive personal and religious statement. Crucified in the central crystal compartment is Jesus, etched into the left amethyst is a heart (charity), in the right is an anchor (hope). These symbols are not uncommon in jewellery, but rarely conveyed to this extent. To show the crucified Jesus rather than just the cross puts this piece further than any other. Even the setting with the delicate gold flowers is so powerfully symbolic for its time.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | 17 December, 1852 |
| Dedication: | M.A Lewis (age 50) |
Only fourteen years separate this ring from the one before it, but the Victorian style and formality is well entrenched by the time of this piece. The ring doesn't suffer from the prior weight and heavy scrollwork, but is refined and elegant, merging with the black enamel work. Two snakes coil around the shank and underneath is the hair memento with the inscription surrounding it. Hidden hair mementos became more popular from this time, compartments and hidden areas in a ring could hold a loved one's hair without compromising the design or function of the piece.
| Courtesy: | Sarah Nehama |
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| Country: | England |
| Year: | 1860 |
| Dedication: | My David |
A wonderful example of a 19th century, gold (tested) mourning ring with plaited hair band. The front of the ring has been engraved with 'MY' and then further around the band, D.A.V.I.D. on individual gold squares. These letters are equally spaced with the plaited hair running behind. While these forms of memorial/sentimental band became the common form in late 19th century jewellery, their shape and construction became thinner and of poorer quality. They are quite easy to find for the collector and are often misrepresented as ‘mourning’ when they can also be purely of sentimental value. This piece, however, is a fine example of the progenitor of such bands; its construction and sentiment are unique – “My David” is an especially personal message for the wearer.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | July 1862 |
| Dedication: | G.H (age 63) |
Much the same as the piece above, this ring from ten years later has the hidden hair compartment underneath. Its beautiful Victorian etching and pearl forget-me-not's around the shank show its grand nature in style.
| Year: | Easter Morn, April 5th, 1874 / August 2, 1869 / 1870 |
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| Dedication: | "Papa" A. Lowe / M.M Lowe / N. Lowe |
Matching the previous ring from the 18th Century in its nature, this ring has blue enamel and a diamond in the centre. These two factors would indicate the wealth of the person it was made for. It being a family piece with many dedications enforces this point. Underneath is a hair memento, much the same as the previous two pieces.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | c. 1860-80 |
Mourning cameos have been set in jewellery from the mid 18th Century as popular items. Different materials have been used, such as shell, but onyx has always been a more popular choice. French memorial items widely used onyx in the 19th Century, as did many areas along the Continent. This was not necessarily a response to the jet trade, but simply a fashionable material. Jewellery that borders on memorial in the early 20th Century is more commonly made from onyx. This mid 19th Century piece above shows the wonderful carving of the broken urn and forget-me-not in the same cameo, making it less common than most which generally show one item or another.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | September 7, 1876 |
| Dedication: | M.G (age 22) |
Hair bands (rings with hair woven through a compartment in the shank) became popular from the 1870s. Pieces in this form can be seen dating back to the 1790s, but from this time, their popularity grew immensely. The mourning industry was on the decline from the mid 1800s, but these pieces can be seen right up to the first quarter of the 20th Century. Not necessarily mourning rings, they were also popular love tokens, as seen further on.
| Year: | c. 1870-90 |
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This bog oak ring is an unusual piece and not necessarily mourning. Its material and the carving of an angel makes it not a wearable piece, but certainly one that is symbolic.
| Year: | c. 1870-90 |
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Inlaid with mother of pearl, this ring with the initials JB is another odd piece much like the one above. Its size and brittle nature make it unwearable, but certainly a statement.
| Country: | Australia |
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| Year: | c. 1880 |
From Melbourne Australia and dating to around 1880, this ring benefited from the booming gold rush, as can be felt by its tremendous gold weight. Inscribed upon the top shield is 'Forget Me Not' and heavy etching curls around the shank.
| Year: | c. 1880 |
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Originally, this ring had a bloodstone intaglio, which has since been replaced, but this swivel ring is a refined piece for a gentleman. The original stone had a monogram and could be used day to day, but the hair memento can easily be swiveled appropriately.
| Year: | April 7, 1881 |
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| Dedication: | "My Dear Mother" Anna Schrarn |
As well as the fine etching to this piece, it has a front compartment which opens to reveal the hair memento. This piece and the piece above almost completely negate the mourning art flourishes of the past, bold statements and symbolism is gone in favour of a simple ring with a personal inscription. Society of the time relates well to this, as the late Victorian view of unnecessary flourishes and the subsequent decline of the mourning industry equate to very plain mourning rings.
| Year: | Jan 1881 |
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This hair band in the form of a buckle houses blonde hair. It is a very fine piece, but the year date is the only link to it being a memorial ring and not simply sentimental.
| Country: | U.S.A |
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| Year: | c. 1880-90 |
This band of hair is a testament to the hairworking industry in America of the time. Only the gold plaque on top reflects the dedication, as the hair becomes the primary material for the ring. Pieces like this were produced in great numbers and ranged from love tokens to memorial pieces. Often they are without any more inscription than initials in the top gold. Considered not as collectable as they were cheaper forms of the jewellery, often different weaves and sentiments make them special.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | April 4th, 1888 |
| Dedication: | "Father" |
This piece represents the difference in the top area of hair bands. Often personalised with initials, often shaped in the form of clasped hands or love hearts, these pieces were greatly produced and catalogues of the time show how greatly they differed. This particular piece has the black enamel and pearls, by the 1880s common representations of mourning.
| Country: | Scotland (A. Struthers, 54 Leith St, Edinburgh) |
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| Year: | 1888 |
An excellent example of love tokens from the time. Still in its original heart shaped box, this ring is a memento to a lover. From the 1880s onwards, bands like this become lighter in their weight, much different from the early to mid 1870s pieces.
| Courtesy: | Barbara Robbins |
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| Country: | England |
| Year: | 1884 (maker W.M.G) |
| Dedication: | James Descola, ob 6th of July, 1792 Ae 67 |
Bands from W.M.G widely propagate. Bands for funerals, as well as simple rings themselves, were made in high order for guests. Often the hair used wasn't that of the person whom it was dedicated to.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | 1889 |
Often hair bands did not have a top placement area and the shanks were open bodied, revealing the hair inside. An open token of affection by the wearer, these pieces are often filled in today, but due to their prolific nature, hair bands are still easy to come by.
| Year: | 1891 |
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Hair bands, with the central groove, had the hair glued woven and glued into the ring, making them more wearable than what may seem. Pieces are often taken apart over time, with the hair removed and enamel or other materials filling in the groove. Still beautiful are the top areas on the bands, where a pearl or buckle motif may be placed.
| Courtesy: | Sarah Nehama |
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| Year: | c. 1890 |
In the same vein as the surrounding hair bands, this piece is c1890 and carries a single pearl (tear). Being widely prolific throughout the world, this band has its origins outside of Britain as it doesn’t carry the correct hallmarks, but these were widely produced along the Continent and especially in the United States.
| Country: | England |
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| Year: | 1900 Chester |
| Dedication: | HP |
By the turn of the century, pieces had become largely produced and lacking in quality of materials. The trend towards outwardly mourning as a popular fashion had dwindled and pieces like the above ring are quite common.
