A Late Georgian memorial ring

A Late Georgian memorial ring

Description

A Late Georgian memorial ring, to the center a rectangular section of braided hair behind a glazed window, within a surround of ten half pearls, each shoulder set with three half pearls, all cut-down collet-set to a closed-back yellow gold mount, to a tapering D-section shank with chased geometric detailing, suspending a trace-link chain, terminating in a single pearl drop, circa 1820, measuring approximately 0.9 x 16mm, finger size I, gross weight 2.53grams.

A delicate Late Georgian memorial ring. The soft creamy lustre of the pearls is beautifully contrasted by the warmth of the gold. The central panel of plaited hair is a wonderful reminder of our nation’s social history, and the pearl drop adds a touch of whimsy to the piece. This would make a wonderful token, as not only is this a piece of history but also a whimsical and highly wearable ring.

This delicate Late Georgian memorial ring harkens to a fascinating point in our jewellery history. It was common practice among the upper echelons of society to create pieces of jewellery that memorialized loved ones, whether in the form of rings, brooches, necklaces and bracelets. It became so popular that allowances in Wills were made for the manufacture and distribution of memorial jewellery. For example, William Shakespeare in 1616 stated in his will that his daughter and wife should have rings stating, “Love My Memory”. Samuel Pepys, the politician and diarist, bequeathed 123 rings to be distributed to his friends and colleagues after his death in 1703.
Often memorial jewellery featured specific motifs, such as urns, weeping willow trees, painted eyes and hearts, and were usually set with precious materials such as pearls, ivory, onyx, mother of pearl, and enamel.
This piece features a particular favourite motif during this period, which is a section of carefully plaited hair, most likely from a long passed loved one. To our modern standards this may be seen as an odd and slightly macabre thing to include in a piece of jewellery, however in the Georgian and certainly in the Victorian period, this was a highly fashionable and deeply important piece of jewellery.