18th Century Mourning Ring Dated 1784-86

This lovely blue and white enameled navette shaped 12k gold ring shows the love of a mother and wife. The wear to the crystal tells us she lived long after the loss of her loved ones and wore the ring daily, never forgetting that deepest of sorrows. The ring is so personal it seems as if we too can feel her sadness, with the double tragedy of losing a son and then a husband in the space of 18 months. The ring has a hair and sepia decorated plaque under the crystal. The scene is a woman weeping over an urn, common imagery for a mourning ring of this era. But this ring has the added detail of a phrase written around the image, it says "The Wish That Would Have Kept Ye Here." This ring imparts a great deal of information to us. The ring is engraved on the back with names and dates. "Moulton Messiter ob 5 July 1786 ae 57," "Moulton Messiter Junior ob 14 Dec 1784 ae 17." You can find a blog here on our website with this ring as one of the subjects.

I have been gathering special and rare jewels for several decades with the intention of eventually releasing them in Curated Collections. The first group I am making available includes extraordinary rings.

Details....A size 7.75, this ring cannot be sized. The gold tests at 12k. The top of the ring measures 1.31" by .77", and the band measures 2.3mm wide. In Good Antique Condition, with signs of sizing. The enamel is in excellent condition, and there are some loose bits behind the crystal.

Item #PB100