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Medieval Posy Ring

Exquisite Engraved Gold Medieval Posy Ring c. 1400 – 1450
Exquisite Engraved Gold Medieval Posy Ring c. 1400 – 1450

Exquisite Engraved Gold Medieval Posy Ring c. 1400 – 1450

Located in Chicago, IL

Circa 1400 – 1450 This exceptionally rare medieval posy ring is crafted in high-karat gold (approximately 22.25 Kt) and exemplifies the fine goldwork of the late Middle Ages.

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Medieval Engagement Rings

Materials

Gold

Post-Medieval posy ring 'loue is the bonde of peace', circa 1600-1650.
Post-Medieval posy ring 'loue is the bonde of peace', circa 1600-1650.

Post-Medieval posy ring 'loue is the bonde of peace', circa 1600-1650.

Located in London, GB

Post-Medieval posy ring 'loue is the bonde of peace'. An ornately crafted gold posy ring featuring nine hollow domed half-spheres, each encircled by twisted wirework, and bordered by...

Category

Antique Early 17th Century Wedding Rings

Materials

Yellow Gold

Solid Gold Alis Volat Motivational Ring
Solid Gold Alis Volat Motivational Ring

Solid Gold Alis Volat Motivational Ring

By The Remarkable Goldsmiths

Located in Dartmouth, England

Latin motivational inscription motto ring, 'She flies with her own wings' Medieval 'posy' ring This beautiful ring has been cast from a hand carved original design, in the mediaeval...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Artisan Band Rings

Materials

Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold

Post Medieval Gold Posy Ring TOVT IOVRS LOIALL
Post Medieval Gold Posy Ring TOVT IOVRS LOIALL

Post Medieval Gold Posy Ring TOVT IOVRS LOIALL

Located in London, GB

Post Medieval gold posy ring '+ TOVT IOVRS LOIALL' ('ever faithful').

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Medieval Band Rings

Materials

Yellow Gold

Post Medieval fede ring with posy, circa 1650-1720
Post Medieval fede ring with posy, circa 1650-1720

Post Medieval fede ring with posy, circa 1650-1720

Located in London, GB

Post Medieval fede ring with posy, circa 1650-1720. A yellow gold fede ring, finely carved to centre with a pair of clasping hands, set above with a heart shape motif, leading to int...

Category

Antique 17th Century Wedding Rings

Materials

Gold, Yellow Gold

Late Medieval Engraved Posy Ring, 'For Good Love', Circa 15th Century.
Late Medieval Engraved Posy Ring, 'For Good Love', Circa 15th Century.

Late Medieval Engraved Posy Ring, 'For Good Love', Circa 15th Century.

Located in London, GB

Post Medieval Engraved Posy Ring, 'For Good Love'. A yellow gold flat band, the exterior engraved around the full circumference with a stylised floral and foliate design and italic i...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Band Rings

Materials

Gold

Post Medieval 22K Posy Ring in Figural Love Knot, Faithful To the End, sz 7.25
Post Medieval 22K Posy Ring in Figural Love Knot, Faithful To the End, sz 7.25

Post Medieval 22K Posy Ring in Figural Love Knot, Faithful To the End, sz 7.25

Located in Baltimore, MD

Rare, historic sixteenth century posy (or posey) ring. Posey rings were popular in France and England during the late middle ages until the 18th century and were given as gifts betw...

Category

Antique Early 1600s English Tudor Signet Rings

Materials

Gold, 22k Gold

Recent Sales

Antique Neo-Gothic Gold Band Ring with inscription
Antique Neo-Gothic Gold Band Ring with inscription

Antique Neo-Gothic Gold Band Ring with inscription

Located in Chicago, IL

The Gothic lettering on the ring is reminiscent of both medieval manuscripts and jewelry, like ring brooches or posy rings with declarations of faith and love, often in combination.

Category

Antique 19th Century French Gothic Revival Band Rings

Materials

Gold, Yellow Gold

Medieval Duchess of Lancaster Sapphire Gold Posy Ring
Medieval Duchess of Lancaster Sapphire Gold Posy Ring

Medieval Duchess of Lancaster Sapphire Gold Posy Ring

Located in London, GB

Medieval Duchess of Lancaster sapphire posy ring. Set centrally with a cabochon sapphire in a closed back cutdown setting with an approximate weight of 2.00 carats, to a ridged band ...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier British Medieval Engagement Rings

Materials

Sapphire, Yellow Gold, Gold

Post Medieval gold posy ring, 'love for ever' circa 17th-18th century.
Post Medieval gold posy ring, 'love for ever' circa 17th-18th century.

Post Medieval gold posy ring, 'love for ever' circa 17th-18th century.

Located in London, GB

Post Medieval gold posy ring 'love for ever'. A smoothly conforming yellow gold D-shape band, engraved to the interior in italic script 'love for ever', approximately 5mm in width an...

Category

Antique 17th Century Medieval Band Rings

Materials

Gold

Medieval Posy Ring "mon cur"
Medieval Posy Ring "mon cur"

Medieval Posy Ring "mon cur"

Located in New York, NY

Wide band engraved with floral and foliate motifs, inscribed on the inside of the hoop with black letter script "mon cur" (“My heart” or “My love”). Type called "black letter posies...

Category

English More Rings

Antique English Gold Band Posy Ring
Antique English Gold Band Posy Ring

Antique English Gold Band Posy Ring

Located in Chicago, IL

While rings bearing amatory inscriptions date back to the late medieval period, posy rings with poetic expressions of love and affection enjoyed great popularity in seventeenth- and ...

Category

Antique Late 17th Century English Band Rings

Materials

Gold

Antique Gold English "Posy" Band Ring
Antique Gold English "Posy" Band Ring

Antique Gold English "Posy" Band Ring

Located in Chicago, IL

While rings bearing amatory inscriptions date back to the late medieval period, posy rings with poetic expressions of love and affection enjoyed great popularity in seventeenth- and ...

Category

Antique Late 17th Century English Band Rings

Materials

Gold, Yellow Gold

Antique 18th Century 22 Karat Gold Posy Ring "Be tru in hart"
Antique 18th Century 22 Karat Gold Posy Ring "Be tru in hart"

Antique 18th Century 22 Karat Gold Posy Ring "Be tru in hart"

Located in Sale, Cheshire

An exceptional early gold posy ring dating from circa 1700. The inscription to the inner band reads: "Be tru in hart." It's modelled in 22 karat gold, with a slim profile on the fing...

Category

Antique Early 18th Century English Medieval Band Rings

Materials

22k Gold

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Medieval Posy Ring For Sale on 1stDibs

Surely you’ll find the exact medieval posy ring you’re seeking on 1stDibs — we’ve got a vast assortment for sale. Every item for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using gold, yellow gold and 9k gold. In our selection of items, you can find a vintage example as well as a contemporary version. You’re likely to find the perfect medieval posy ring among the distinctive items we have available, which includes versions made as long ago as the 18th Century as well as those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Finding an appealing medieval posy ring — no matter the origin — is easy, but The Remarkable Goldsmiths each produced a popular version that is worth a look. A medieval posy ring of any era or style can lend versatility to your look, but a version featuring sapphire, from our inventory of 1, is particularly popular. Today, if you’re looking for a cabochon version of this piece and are unable to find the perfect match, our selection also includes alternatives. Most of our medieval posy ring for sale are for men, but there are 12 pieces available to browse for women.

How Much is a Medieval Posy Ring?

The price for a medieval posy ring starts at $438 and tops out at $82,599 with these rings, on average, selling for $6,250.

Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship

Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself. 

Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.

Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.

For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.

Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.

In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so. 

Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.

Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle. 

BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.

A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in. 

Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.

Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.

Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right Rings for You

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.

Questions About Medieval Posy Ring

  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A posy ring vase is a style of vase that is round and generally quite small. The vase is similar to a donut because it is round with a hole in the center, creating a wreath-like effect when the vase is full. Shop a collection of vintage vases, including posy rings, on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 8, 2023
    Yes, people wore wedding rings during medieval times, also known as the Middle Ages. During the 13th and 14th centuries, exchanging rings on wedding days was a common practice among Christians. Artisans crafted these early wedding rings out of gold, bronze and iron, and some featured gemstones. Sapphires were especially popular, as they were thought to symbolize chastity and fidelity. On 1stDibs, explore a large assortment of wedding rings.