Dreamy Victorian Forget Me Not Ring

A softly stunning Victorian ring featuring a forget-me-not crafted from emeralds and pearls and decorated in fine gold work, this ring is absolutely a product of its time. The floral arrangement of stones is inspired by the Victorian love of symbolism and the popular "floriography" - a type of cryptic communication also known as the language of flowers, wherein each specimen carried a specific and sometimes secret meaning. While the forget-me-not really wears its heart on its sleeve, namewise, its use in a bouquet or piece of jewelry communicated what could be more difficult to say aloud. The decorative work around the gems, though - small prongs, minuscule milgrain, petite beads of gold, and scrolling wires - are clearly drawn from the Etruscan revival that was itself in full bloom in the 1860s and 1870s. The excavations at Pompeii and Etruscan sites in the first decades of the 19th century uncovered metalwork that exhilarated and confounded contemporary goldsmiths - the technique of the fine granulation (positively tiny gold balls affixed to surfaces) wasn't determined for another hundred years - and the inspiration found its way into Grand Period jewelry in ways both obvious and more subtle.

Good antique condition with reasonable wear in line with age, including a small chip at the corner of the central emerald and a cloudiness due to past moisture damage.

Please keep in mind that due to the closed-back settings it is crucial to keep this ring dry to preserve its integrity.

Details:
• 18k yellow gold, with British hallmarks for Birmingham c.1873, maker's mark J.P
• Size 7 and we do not recommend resizing
• Eight seed pearls and three emeralds
• Face of ring measures 8.3mm wide, 15.5mm across, with a rise of 3.5mm; back of band measures 2.6mm wide and 0.8mm thick
• 2.2g