Antique 14k Yellow Gold Amethyst and Pearl Secret Box Poison Ring

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Antique 14k Yellow Gold Amethyst and Pearl Secret Box Poison Ring

About the Item

For sale a magnificent 14K gold secret box ring (also called poison ring). The ring features a rare flower box container on the ring’s head, which is decorated with 8 amethyst stones on the petals. The gem shows a vibrant purple color, contrasting beautifully with the warm gold color and the white luster from the pearl in the center. The box still opens and closes well, allowing you insert your own secret. Not to mention the amazing granulation work on both the face and back side of the secret box. It used the very fine gold wires which are doubled over, twisted together and then rolled flat. Look closely, you will see the detail of each small motif, showing a gold bead carefully soldered with a wire spiral. This beautiful ring is dated back to the 19th century and it is stamped with the French shell hallmark for 14K gold on the shank. Originating in ancient India and the Far East, the poison ring eventually made its way to Europe. A poison ring or pillbox ring is a type of ring with a container under the bezel or inside the bezel itself which could be used to hold poison or another substance. Rings like this have been used throughout history to carry perfume, locks of hair, devotional relics, messages and other keepsakes, so they have also been known by other names. This refined and very beautiful secret box / poison ring is a rare piece of antique jewelry which you should not miss in your collection! The ring is resizable at buyer’s cost, please contact before you pass your order. *Ancient Romans sometimes used poison rings to commit suicide when a painful death was unavoidable. The historian Pliny, the Elder (23-79 CE) recounts how a Roman government official escaped torture by taking a bite out of his poison ring (a thin shell was the container for the poison). The teenaged Emperor Heliogabalus (203 CE – 222 CE), feared because of his cruelty and notorious for his debauchery, wore a poison ring – but was assassinated before he could ingest its contents. **A poison ring may have also played a part in ending an aristocratic feud between two powerful families in the Middle Ages. In the 21st century, archeologists in Bulgaria unearthed a bronze ring with a secret compartment. It is theorized that poison in the ring may have been used by Dobrotitsa (1347-1386), the ruler of Despotate of Dobrudja, against an influential family in the Kaliakra fortress.The traditional poison ring had a very small container hidden under a hinged cover. */**Sources: “The Murky History of Poison Rings” – GIA Education Measurements and condition In overall very good antique condition. Traces of use/oxidation on the gold, especially inside of the box. The secret box opens and closes well French shell hallmark for 14k gold on the shank of the ring. The ring is resizable with a current size of EU/FR 53 - US 6.5 - UK M Weight : 6g

Ring Size:
6.5 US, Resizable
Metal:
14k Gold,Yellow Gold
Stone:
Amethyst,Pearl
Stone Cut:
Round Cut
Weight:
6 g
Style:
Victorian
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1860s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Versailles, FR
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3037219117762