"Forget Me Not" Early Victorian Ring c. 1850

Caroline's Jewelry with a Past is offering a early Victorian mourning ring made of 18kt. yellow gold, circa 1860. A style typical of "forget-me-not" jewelry, this piece features a marquis shaped black onyx stone topped by a thin piece of hematite giving the piece the color of bluish gray over black. The center of the tone has a floral motif featuring a stem with 6 leaves with 6 rose cut diamonds, bead set in the each leaf. The face of the ring has wire rope twisting and an open frame. The head of the ring is 15/16" tall X 3/8" wide. There are decorative designs on the shank. The ring weighs 4.9 grams. It is a size 6-3/4, can be carefully resized.

Mourning was an integral part of life for the Georgians and Victorians. Queen Victoria went into mourning, along with her whole court, for over 40 years when her beloved Albert died. Mourning jewelry became a necessity and onyx, jet, bog oak and other black stones filled the need. Forget-me-not jewelry was worn long after mourning had ceased merely to commemorate the loss of the loved one. This kind of jewelry was not meant to be morbid, but to remind the wearer to live life to the fullest.

The gold content of this piece has been tested using standard accepted testing methods, such as acid testing. The gold is marked "18". The diamonds were tested using a standard jeweler's diamond tester. The diamonds are rose cut and therefore are difficult to measure the exact carat weight. The stones were not removed from the piece to determine precise carat weight. There is a small chip to the hematite at the lower left of the ring.