178yr old ring, something different.

[needfullshinythings]

I came across this ring recently and had to snap it up. The subject is not to everybody's taste I know, but I was amazed by its condition considering how old it is. This ring was made in 1836 when William iv was on the throne. Just wondering if anyone has inherited or own a ring like this ? here are some pics. Georgian Mourning Ring 1836

 

[MMtwo]

That is fabulous. Never seen anything like it. It's beautifully done and in excellent condition. Thanks for posting!

 

[redwood66]

It is beautiful and in such great condition! Is is possible it is a mourning ring?

 

[needfullshinythings]

Hi MM, Yes Redwood it is a " Mourning " ring. The inscription inside reads " Elizabeth Greaves ob ( obituary ) 26 sept 1836 at 73yr. The centre panel of the ring reads " IN MEMORY OF " This style was popular between the late 18th and early 20th centuries, sometimes they held a lock of hair. Wonderful quality work which has stood the test of time remarkably well, I had to check it over several times before I was sure it was period

 

[anne_h]

I've always been partial to mourning rings.

I don't own one, but do own a pink gold mourning brooch, with a border of half pearls and a locket of hair woven inside. I had to have it because it was such a small sweet size.

Enjoy your new ring!!

Anne

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Very cool!

cheers--Sharon

 

[vintageinjune]

I could only dream to find something that cool! Thank you for sharing, it is such a unique piece.

 

[GliderPoss]

Wow! I love this ring - what an amazing piece of history.

 

[tyty333]

Wow! How very cool to own something with quit a history. 73 was pretty old for back then
Right? I love the scroll work on the sides!

 

[SirGuy]

Wow! It's a great piece of history and it's in superb condition! I'd love to hear about the documentation and provenance.

 

[OreoRosies86]

I am fascinated by mourning jewelry. Great find!

 

[lknvrb4]

Very cool, never even knew something like this existed.

 

[iota15]

I never knew such a thing existed either. It's really neat to see.

 

[Rena7]

That is such a beautiful piece. What a lucky find.

 

[motownmama]

Have you researched the person (say on ancestry.com) since you know date of death?

 

[needfullshinythings]

Hi all, so pleased you like it. I thought it might make a change from all the bling and fancy rings that we often see on a daily basis, just thinking of the time the lady lived through has kept me entertained, no electricity, cars, tv, aeroplanes,4 monarchs, birth of a new nation ( you know the 1 ) puts into perspective just what we take for granted !!! To live to an age of 73 in that time was very rare indeed, certainly not the norm Glad you all like it

 

[MarionC]

Hi all, so pleased you like it. I thought it might make a change from all the bling and fancy rings that we often see on a daily basis, just thinking of the time the lady lived through has kept me entertained, no electricity, cars, tv, aeroplanes,4 monarchs, birth of a new nation ( you know the 1 ) puts into perspective just what we take for granted !!! To live to an age of 73 in that time was very rare indeed, certainly not the norm Glad you all like it

thank you so much for posting it!

 

[ckrickett]

That ring is really unique and fabulous. I don't think I have seen anything like it.

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

Incredible piece! It's amazing that it has survive that long and the engraving is very clear! It probably was not worn much! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Ally T]

I love this! What fantastic condition!

Mourning rings were very common here in the UK back in the day, and I have been lucky enough to see a couple of them over the years that family members have kept. Bit macabre, but the work on them is exquisite & delicate. I generally don't think they were worn for very long periods of time, hence their condition, as usually the person in mourning perhaps didn't live much longer themselves. It wasn't really good practice to wear a mourning ring that you inherited, so once the person who had it commissioned had passed, the rings, broches etc, were generally popped away.

Hope this information is of some interest

 

[Jambalaya]

Wow, that really is a very different piece! I love it. I bet it's a conversation-starter!

Thanks to this thread, I wound up googling all about mourning jewelry, which was very interesting! How amazing to think that it used to be quite common to wear memorial jewelry, and that people would sometimes actually commission such items in their will, before they died, to be made and distributed to their loved ones after their death. This googling led to articles about mourning clothing and other such rituals in the 19th century.

It's great to find such an interesting thread. Thank you!