Delicate Garnet Snake Ring 1988

A dainty wisp of a thing, this mysterious little cutie is ready to slither around your finger! A rich garnet with beautiful red depths is the perfect complement to a yellow gold body, delicately decorated with a cross hatch of scales. Head and tail are perfectly balanced in what must be the snake equivalent to contrapposto, no?

Snakes were a favourite motif of the Victorian era, particularly after the queen started to sport a coiled snake ring in honour of her engagement to Prince Philip. Representing passion and everlasting love, they are also a good reminder of sloughing off that which no longer fits you, and of being adaptable and open to growth.

This little sweetie isn't the most intricately nor carefully made specimen - despite her age, she has very little wear, and in fact still bears some marks of her making: a parting line from the mold wasn't fully filed out after casting (on the straight band side of the stone), and the stone itself initially looks a little abraded, but under magnification appears to be slightly underpolished along one star facet. She's not perfect, but she's mighty charming!

Details:
• 9k yellow gold, with British hallmarks for Birmingham 1988 and a worn maker's mark
• Size 5.75 and can be resized
• Featuring one pear garnet approximately 5mm x 3mm
• Face of ring is 8.9mm at the widest, 8.7mm across (from head to tail), with a rise of 2.7mm at the highest and a band that is 1.5mm wide and 0.7mm thick
• 1.1g