Georgian Carved Posy Ring 'Nosse Te Ipsum', circa 18th Century
Located in London, GB
See Evans, J., 'English Posies and Posy Rings', 1931, p.84 for two variations on this posy- both found on signet rings.
Gold
Gold posy ring, 'A true Friends gift', 18th century.
Located in London, GB
Tested yellow gold, approximately 2.30 grams in weight, indistinct maker's mark, English, circa 18th century.
Georgian Gold Posy Ring "True Loue is My Desire" circa 18th Century
Located in London, GB
Tested yellow gold, approximately 2.8g in weight, circa 18th century. UK finger size N. This posy is completely unique- there is no record of this posy or any similar listed in Joan...
Yellow Gold
Gold posy ring with carved detailing, 'It is my love', circa 18th century.
Located in London, GB
Tested yellow gold, approximately 1.66 grams in weight, maker's mark 'IG', circa 18th century. This ring came from a private UK collection, previously by descent.
Gold
Gold posy ring, 'Rather die then faith deny', circa 18th century.
Located in London, GB
Tested yellow gold, approximately 9.32 grams in weight, circa 18th century.
Gold posy ring 'Noe joy in life like a good wife', circa 18th century.
Located in London, GB
Tested yellow gold, maker's mark 'DP' within a shield, approximately 6.44g in weight, circa 18th century. This posy motto is unique- it is not listed in Joan Evan's extensive catalo...
Antique 18th Century Posy Ring "Love The Giver"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
A fantastic 18th century posy ring featuring the words "Love the Giver" inscribed on the inner band.
18k Gold
18th Century Gold Posy Ring "Let Virtue Be Thy Guide"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
It's crafted in 18 karat yellow gold, and dates from around 1700. Posy Rings (aka posie, poesy, posey) take their name from the old word Poesy, meaning a poem or poetic line, and we...
18k Gold
Unavailable
Antique Gold English "Posy" Band Ring
Located in Chicago, IL
Posy Ring, “No riches to content” England, 18th century Gold Weight 2.8 gr.; circumference 60.98; US size 9.5, UK size S ¾ Gold band with D-section, plain on the exterior and on th...
Gold, Yellow Gold
Unavailable
Antique English Gold Band Posy Ring
Located in Chicago, IL
Posy ring, "A loving wife during life" England, mid-18th century Gold Weight 4.4 gr.; circumference: 55.76 mm.; US size 7.75; UK size P ½ “Posy rings,” their name deriving from the...
Gold
18th Century Gold Posy Ring
Located in London, GB
18th century solid gold posy ring of a very high grade of gold and a pale lemon colour.
Gold
17th Century Gold Chased Posy Ring
Located in London, GB
By the mid-17th and the 18th centuries, most posy rings were used as wedding rings.
Gold
18th Century Posy Ring in 18 Karat Gold
Located in Brisbane City, QLD
The ring is crafted from 18 karat yellow gold and features a very worn pattern to the exterior, commensurate with its age as a piece from the 18th century.
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Museum Quality Antique Gold Posy Ring "My Heart and Eye Until I Die"
Located in London, GB
Gold posy ring, 'MY HEART AND EYE UNTIL I DIE'. The D-shaped band engraved to the interior 'MY HEART AND EYE UNTIL I DIE' with pictograms for heart and eye, approximately 3.7mm in wi...
Yellow Gold
Late 17th-Early 18th Century 18 Karat Gold Posy Ring
Located in Chipping Campden, GB
A rare antique posy ring crafted around 1680-1720. The inside of the band is engraved with the inscription 'OYND IN ONE BY CHRIST ALONE'. Modelled in 18 karat yellow gold. Ring Size...
18k Gold
Post Medieval gold posy ring, 'love for ever' circa 17th-18th century.
Located in London, GB
Tested yellow gold, approximately 6.16 grams in weight, maker's stamp 'R D', circa 17-18th century. For comparison see The British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme Database, und...
Gold
1700s "A token of my love" Gold Posy Ring
Located in London, GB
Gold posy ring, 'A token of my love'. A smoothly conforming yellow gold D-shape band, engraved to the interior in italic script 'A token of my love', approximately 3mm in width, appr...
Yellow Gold
18th Century Gold Posy Ring "In Christ & Thee My Comfort Bee"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
A sweet 18th Century Posy ring engraved with the words "In Christ and Thee My Comfort Bee".
18k Gold
Antique Georgian "A True Friend's Gift" Gold Posy Ring
Located in Sale, Cheshire
This cool 18th Century Posy Ring dates to c.1790, with the inscription "A True Friend's Gift" to the inner band.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
18th Century Georgian Gold Posy Ring "Rather death then faulse of faythe"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
An exceptional early 18th Century Posy Ring with the inscription "Rather death then faulse of faythe" (rather death than false of faith).
18k Gold
18th Century Georgian Posy Ring "Not The Value But My Love"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
A gorgeous 18th Century Posy ring with the words "not the value but my love" inscribed to the inside of the band.
18k Gold
Georgian 18 Karat Gold Posy Ring "Read This Wish Me A Kiss"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
A sweet 18th Century Posy Ring modelled in 18k yellow gold.
18k Gold
Antique English Gold Band Posy Ring
Located in Chicago, IL
Posy Ring, “Forget not he who loveth thee” England, 18th century Gold Weight 4.2 gr.; circumference 60.38; US size 9.25, UK size S 1/4 A gold hoop with D-section, plain on the ex...
Gold
17th Century Gold Posy Ring
Located in London, GB
They were usually given by both men and women as an expression of regard, friendship, attachment or even love and reached their peak of popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries. By ...
Gold
17th Century Gold "Posy" Ring
Located in London, GB
Their popularity peaked in the 16th and 17th centuries and by the 18th century most posy rings were used as wedding rings.
Gold
Gold posy ring circa 1700
Located in London, GB
By the mid 17th and the 18th centuries, most posy rings were used as wedding rings.
Gold
18th Century 18 Karat Gold Posy Ring "FEAR GOD & LOVE ME"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
A particularly cool 18th Century Posy Ring engraved to the inner band with the inscription: FEAR GOD & LOVE ME.
18k Gold
18th Century Georgian Posy Ring "til death noe change"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
A cool 18th Century posy ring inscribed with the words "til death noe change."
18k Gold
Antique 18th Century 22 Karat Gold Posy Ring "Be tru in hart"
Located in Sale, Cheshire
An increasingly rare piece, preserved in remarkably good condition. Posy (also known as poesy or posey) Rings were popular during the 15th through the 18th centuries in both Englan...
22k Gold
Antique and vintage rings have long held a special place in the hearts of fine jewelry lovers all over the world.
No matter their origin or specific characteristics, rings are timeless, versatile accessories. They’ve carried deep meaning since at least the Middle Ages, when diamond rings symbolized strength and other kinds of rings were worn to signify romantic feelings or to denote an affiliation with a religious order. Rings have also forever been emblematic of eternity.
Over time, rings have frequently taken the form of serpents, which have long been associated with eternal life, health and renewal. Italian luxury jewelry house Bulgari has become famous for its widely loved Serpenti motif, for example, and its Serpenti ring, like the other accessories in the collection, began as an homage to jewelry of the Roman and Hellenistic eras. The serpent is now a popular motif in fine jewelry. Jewelry devotees have long pined for rings adorned with reptiles, thanks to antique Victorian rings — well, specifically, Queen Victoria’s illustrious engagement ring, which took the form of a gold snake set with rubies, diamonds and an emerald (her birthstone). Designs for Victorian-era engagement rings often featured repoussé work and chasing, in which patterns are hammered into the metal.
Engagement rings, which are reliably intimidating to shop for, are still widely recognized as symbols of love and commitment. On 1stDibs, a range of buying guides can be found for those in the market for antique engagement rings, vintage engagement rings or Art Deco engagement rings.
The most collectible antique engagement rings and vintage engagement rings are those from the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco eras. Named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who in succession ruled England starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign), antique Georgian rings, be they engagement rings or otherwise, are also coveted by collectors. Pearls, along with colored gemstones like garnets, rubies and sapphires, were widely used in Georgian jewelry. The late-1700s paste jewelry was a predecessor to what we now call fashion or costume jewelry.
The Art Nouveau movement (1880–1910) brought with it rings inspired by the natural world. Antique Art Nouveau rings might feature depictions of winged insects and fauna as well as women, who were simultaneously eroticized and romanticized, frequently with long flowing hair. Art Deco jewelry, on the other hand, which originated during the 1920s and ’30s, is by and large “white jewelry.” White metals, primarily platinum, were favored over yellow gold in the design of antique Art Deco rings and other accessories as well as geometric motifs, with women drawn to the era’s dazzling cocktail rings in particular.
Whether you’re hunting down a chunky classic for a Prohibition-themed cocktail party or seeking a clean contemporary design to complement your casual ensemble, find an exquisite collection of antique, new and vintage rings on 1stDibs.
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