17th Century Engraved Gold Posy Ring, 'Let Reason Rule Affection', circa 1600

Post Medieval engraved posy ring 'Let this present my good intent'. A rare ring, the exterior of the D-shape band intricately engraved with hearts pierced with arrows and flower moti...

Stuart gold posy ring 'Vertue passeth riches'. A smoothly conforming shallow D-shape band, engraved to the interior in florid italic script '* Vertue passeth riches x', approximately...

Post Medieval posy ring 'Live in love and love in god *'. A smoothly conforming posy ring, engraved to the interior 'Live in love and love in god *' approximately 5.9mm in width. Tes...

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...

15th century engraved gold buckle ring, ‘At this point remains’. A rare flat top ring featuring intricate detailing around the full circumference with a...

Georgian gold posy ring 'True loue is my desire'. A yellow gold band with softly scalloped edging, engraved to the interior 'True loue is my desire', approximately 3.7mm in width. Te...

Late 17th century gold posy ring, engraved to the interior with the inscription 'Alle my trust' with engraved decoration to outer shank, size 7 Weigh...

A gold ring, with inscription on the inside of the band, in 22 karat yellow gold. This gorgeous ring is a posy (or poesy) ring, deriving its name from the French ‘poésie’, meaning...

Fede Ring with Heart England, 17th century Gold, enamel Weight 1.88 gr.; circumference 44.77mm.; US size 3,1/4; UK size F 3/4 Elaborately decorated posy ring, with messages of love and affection. Gold band, flat on the interior, chased and engraved on the exterior with alternating hearts and rosette motifs. The centerpiece shows two cuffed right hands clasped together holding a heart. Inscribed inside the band in italic script: ‘For love not valer’. Traces of enamel have survived. The ring shows signs of wear through age and is in good wearable condition. The maker’s mark in rectangular punch inside the hoop has the initials ‘SW’, slightly indistinct due to the punch within the curvature of the hoop. Literature: Messages of romantic love on jewelry, and mottoes or inscriptions on plain gold bands go back to the Middle Ages. Beginning in the thirteenth century, ring brooches and rings were given as love tokens and the language of love was expressed in words and amatory motifs. Each element of this ring expresses love and affection, as well as the union of marriage. The clasped hands or ‘mani in fede’ (Italian term for hands in faith), is a motif derived from the Roman ritual of the joining of the right hands during the betrothal ceremony known as dextrarum iunctio. The right hand was considered to be sacred to Fides, the goddess of trust and good faith. The clasped hands as a symbol of love and marriage has continued in both the ceremony and rings through the centuries, even today. The alternating hearts and rosettes underline the love message concealed inside the hoop ‘For love not valer’, only to be known by the giver and recipient. The posy declares that the bond of love is more important than wealth. This fede ring is also a highly elaborate form of posy ring, which are usually simple gold bands with inscription...

Merchant ring with an engraved heraldic shield, within an incised border set in fine gold circa 1640. Goldsmith's mark DR Finger size 8 Weight: 8.2gr.

POSY RING “PIETY IS THE BEST MONUMENT” England, 17th century Gold Weight: 1.5 g.; circumference: 60.1 mm.; size: US 9.25, UK S Fine, irregular, D-section ho...

Posy Ring “A knote knit in love” England, late 17th century Gold Weight 5 gr; Circumference 57.65 mm; US size 8 1/4; UK size Q 1/2 A wide gold band with D-section and inside the eng...