The Sweetest Thing : Victorian Era Sentimental Turquoise & Diamond Ring

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An early Victorian Era sentimental turquoise and diamond ‘forget me not’ ring circa 1840-1860, with a locket at the back and still holding the original sweet nothing placed inside. This would have been a gift from a lover to his sweetheart, or from one kindred spirit – friend or relative – to another.

Sentimental gifts were all the rage long before best friend charms. The Victorians punched it up a notch by enclosing little braided pieces of hair in their gifts, held in secret compartments – just like the one at the underside of the head of this ring. This might seem a little weird to us now – but in the days before photographs having a little piece of a loved one to treasure was a comfort.

Manufacture: The ring bears no hallmarks, which is not unusual for a ring of this age. It has been XRF tested as 16ct yellow gold. The six natural turquoise cabochons are all original and have retained their beautiful blue hue, although one cabochon shows a hint of green on one side. The diamond chip is held securely in the crimped collet, and the locket to the underside is complete and secure.

The ring is currently a size M or 6.25
resizing is possible but not recommended due to the age of the piece.
Weighs 1.8 grams

Condition: In remarkably fine condition for a ring of this age – the turquoise cabochons retain their beautiful blue hue, the setting is in good condition, and most remarkably the small locket compartment is still present and contains the original braided hair enclosed inside over 100 years ago. These are often missing, so finding it all in one piece makes it extra sweet.

The ring is in very good condition, suitable for immediate and regular careful wear. There are some slight gaps in the gold to the underside of one the shoulders (please see photos) but, my jeweller assures me this is not a fault but an indication of the way the ring was assembled – in pieces and by hand. The gaps would have appeared slowly over time though age and use, and do not go all the way through. As the lines are purely cosmetic we elected not to fill them with gold solder in case heating up the ring prove detrimental to the locket or the turquoise.

Ready for immediate wear, but please avoid immersing the ring in water.

Description

An early Victorian Era sentimental turquoise and diamond ‘forget me not’ ring circa 1840-1860 with a locket at the back and still holding the original sweet nothing placed inside. This would have been a gift from a lover to his sweetheart, or from one kindred spirit – friend or relative – to another.

Sentimental gifts were all the rage long before best friend charms. The Victorians punched it up a notch by enclosing little braided pieces of hair in their gifts, held in secret compartments.

The ring is currently a size M or 6.25
resizing is possible but not recommended due to the age of the piece.
Weighs 1.8 grams