Victorian Mourning Ring with Diamond Lantern to Light the Darkness

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Victorian Mourning Ring with Diamond Lantern to Light the Darkness

About the Item

Queen Victoria was famously in love with her husband, Prince Albert. When he died, she entered a period of mourning that lasted for the next forty years, wearing black dresses and black "mourning" jewelry. This might sound horribly depressing to our modern ears but it did not sound horribly depressing to Victorian English ears. In the same way that today, if Kate Middleton wears a specific scarf by a specific designer that specific scarf sells out worldwide in five minutes, so, too, did the citizens of Victorian-era England look to their monarch to set the style tone. Mourning jewelry had existed for hundreds of years. It was worn as a way to remember and honor a loved one who had passed. But mourning jewelry exploded in popularity during Victoria's reign and quite suddenly, necklaces, bracelets, brooches featuring onyx, jet, pearls, dark garnets, old diamonds and gold were all the rage. The ring you see here is an especially elegant example of an English Victorian-era mourning ring. An oval plaque of glossy black onyx serves as the background for a "coach lantern" form created in gold and set with a row of four single-cut diamonds. The diamonds provide a source of illumination for the coach lantern so that it can light your way through the darkness. Surrounding the onyx we find 24 faceted jet stones set into silver atop gold. The 15K yellow gold shank features decorated shoulders and a simple band the rest of the way around. I love mourning jewelry. Not just because through our modern eyes, it's monotone chic; I love mourning jewelry for what it is: a jewel to remember and honor a loved one who has passed. If we're honest, none of us ever "gets over" the loss of a loved one That doesn't happen. What happens is, we continue to move forward through time, through our lives. But the love we felt for that person, our memories of them; these travel with us through life. Mourning jewelry was —and still ought to be— a way of not forgetting. And a way of saying, "don't tell me I should be 'healed' by now." This magnificent antique Victorian mourning ring dates to approximately 1850. This ring is currently a size 6 ¼ and could be resized by your local jeweler. The ring measures 35.35mm north to south and 20.56mm west to east. It has a relatively low-profile, rising just 8.77mm from the surface of the finger.

Metal:
15k Gold
Stone:
Diamond,Onyx
Stone Cut:
Single Cut
Weight:
10.81 g
Style:
Victorian
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Mid-19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1850
Condition:
Excellent condition with no signs of damage or repair. Softening to the facet junctions of the jet stones, as expected. Insignificant.
Seller Location:
Southbury, CT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU158919799392