Victorian Mourning Ring with Garnet and Pearls in Gold, c. 1844 and later

In past centuries, death was still omnipresent: life expectancy was low and the confrontation with death was as present as it was inevitable. In this context, jewellery had a deep symbolic meaning. Its special role in the areas of death, mourning and remembrance can be traced back to the earliest times. A multitude of rules and behavioral norms were intended to alleviate the grief of the bereaved and satisfy society's ideas of decency. Depending on the degree of kinship, the times of mourning were meticulously defined, during which special clothing had to be worn. The mourning attire also included specially made jewellery, the forms and symbolic content of which changed over the centuries. In the last third of the 19th century, for example, mourning jewelry was closely oriented towards other jewellery fashions and interpreted them in dark materials, as the Victorian lady was also supposed to be fashionably adorned during the mourning period. One of the most touching treasures from the past is English mourning jewelry - such as this ring from the early Victorian era. A beautiful garnet shines warm and red in the center of the reddish gold ring. Originally, a small inlay of hair was probably inserted under a plate of glass or rock crystal. Commemorating loved ones with their hair as a physical reminder was common practice throughout the century. However, this delicate hair work was once damaged, so the garnets were cut to fit. Many purely decorative rings of the time, however, bear just such a cross-laid garnet, so the choice was not a rash one. An engraving under the ring face shows who was commemorated here: we read "M.M. died June 16th 1844". The ring must have been created around this time. This sentimental piece of jewellery came to us from Bonn.

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