A dainty, Georgian-era mourning ring, modeled in high karat gold and decorated with the sumptuous, chased, floral details that are typical of this period. The ring’s highly dimensional shoulders each feature a stylized cabbage rose and a pair of leaves stretching out above it to create the impression of a split shoulder. This shoulder decor is especially voluptuous and creaturely—the ornate bezel that rests betwixt theroses holds tightly plaited locks of human hair, beneath a beveled slab of rock crystal. The ring shank tapers from the shoulder— its lovely, carved, ribbon like formremains intact and uninterrupted by resizing.

Materials

18 - 20k gold
Rock crystal
Human hair

Age

c. 1800

Size

US 6 1/4 - 6 1/2 (on the mandrel); fits like a US 6. This ring should not be resized.

Dimensions

Ring face measures approx 7.8 x 10.6 mm; shank measures approx 8.5 mm at the shoulder and tapers to approx 2.2 mm at the base; rise is approx 3 mm.