🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Help with this old ring please

[lenmac65]

Hello. I posted this ring on the Today’s Finds forum the other day. I believe it is copper with gold gilding. Have any of you seen a ring like this or have a guess as to its age? I found it near a cellar hole dating from at least the 1850s. The relics and coins I found nearby were all from the early to mid-1800s, so I’m guessing that is the approximate time frame for this ring. However, a knowledgeable person suggested it might be later than that, so I don’t know. Also, does anyone think this might be a mourning ring? I think the rectangular box is curious, and the black marks that I circled in blue could be adhesive, I suppose. However, I know little about jewelry or how it is fabricated, so I may be way off with this idea. I did include pictures of a couple mourning rings, as I do see some similarities. Anyway, if anyone has some insights about this ring or its age, I would be grateful. Thank you.

 

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[GoldieLocks]

Except given it is so thin, it could be a cloth napkin ring.

 

[lenmac65]

Except given it is so thin, it could be a cloth napkin ring.

Thanks for the comment and idea. This object is indeed thin, but I think the diameter is maybe too small for a napkin ring. I did not include a size reference in my post, but it is only about an inch diameter and fits my pinky finger only. Thanks again.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

What a beautiful find, looks to have some serious age to it. Folks were much leaner in the 19thc, due to their diets, so their fingers were a lot thinner then today. My feeling is that it's a gold plated on brass, lady's wedding ring.
Dave

 

[lenmac65]

What a beautiful find, looks to have some serious age to it. Folks were much leaner in the 19thc, due to their diets, so their fingers were a lot thinner then today. My feeling is that it's a gold plated on brass, lady's wedding ring.
Dave

Thanks, Dave. I found a shoe buckle, some buttons from the early 1800s, an 1830 large cent, and an 1864 penny nearby. I didn’t find anything any later than that, so I am thinking this ring is from the early 1800s to the 1850-70s, but I really don’t know for sure. Brass turns green, I believe, so you may be right. Could be a woman’s ring too, particularly given its size and design. I was pretty psyched when I got it home and cleaned it, as I originally thought it was scrap or some sort of fitting. I might put a little renaissance wax on it and display it on a shelf. Thanks again.

Steve

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Sorry for the late response Steve, I was working in Western Canada all last week and spent yesterday catching up on chores around the house.

It's definitely at least mid-19thc and possibly much earlier, Cru might be able to help with a date range.
Years ago, I invested in a ring mandrel and a small brass jewellers hammer. This way I can delicately straighten any old rings I find without damaging the metals' surface.

Here's a ladies gold wedding band I found on an c1850 - 1900 site. It's 22K and the makers mark dated it to 1805. It was badly bent from years of being in the ground, but by using the mandrel and the small brass hammer it straightened out beautifully.

Dave

 

[lenmac65]

Sorry for the late response Steve, I was working in Western Canada all last week and spent yesterday catching up on chores around the house.

It's definitely at least mid-19thc and possibly much earlier, Cru might be able to help with a date range.
Years ago, I invested in a ring mandrel and a small brass jewellers hammer. This way I can delicately straighten any old rings I find without damaging the metals' surface.

Here's a ladies gold wedding band I found on an c1850 - 1900 site. It's 22K and the makers mark dated it to 1805. It was badly bent from years of being in the ground, but by using the mandrel and the small brass hammer it straightened out beautifully.

Dave

Hey Dave. Work and chores gets in the way of so many things. Hope you can find the time to dig/post some coins/ relics soon, as I miss seeing your posts and handiwork.

Like you, my gut tells me that my ring is 1850 or earlier. Cru replied on my Today’s Finds post that it was possibly 1880s to early 1900s. I have no basis to disagree, especially since I am not knowledgeable of jewelry. Still, I can’t help thinking it’s older.

That gold ring is great. It’s nice that it had markings on it to help ID a date range. As always, I am impressed with your preservation skills.

Hope you had a nice summer. Take care and happy hunting.

 

[Joe-Dirt]

To my untrained eye, I’d say you’re probably correct about the mourning ring idea. It may have been completely gold plated at one point and only the tough spots remain due to weathering etc. As for age, I have no clue, but still a wonderful find. I love old jewelry of any type.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello. I posted this ring on the Today’s Finds forum the other day. I believe it is copper with gold gilding. Have any of you seen a ring like this or have a guess as to its age? I found it near a cellar hole dating from at least the 1850s. The relics and coins I found nearby were all from the early to mid-1800s, so I’m guessing that is the approximate time frame for this ring. However, a knowledgeable person suggested it might be later than that, so I don’t know. Also, does anyone think this might be a mourning ring? I think the rectangular box is curious, and the black marks that I circled in blue could be adhesive, I suppose. However, I know little about jewelry or how it is fabricated, so I may be way off with this idea. I did include pictures of a couple mourning rings, as I do see some similarities. Anyway, if anyone has some insights about this ring or its age, I would be grateful. Thank you. View attachment 2042981 View attachment 2042982 View attachment 2042983 View attachment 2042984 View attachment 2042985

Sweet find, congrats!

 

[lenmac65]

To my untrained eye, I’d say you’re probably correct about the mourning ring idea. It may have been completely gold plated at one point and only the tough spots remain due to weathering etc. As for age, I have no clue, but still a wonderful find. I love old jewelry of any type.

Thanks Joe. I guess I will never know for sure what this is or how old, but I still like it. Jewelry is really cool, especially the old stuff. Happy hunting and good luck out there.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Hey Dave. Work and chores gets in the way of so many things. Hope you can find the time to dig/post some coins/ relics soon, as I miss seeing your posts and handiwork.

Like you, my gut tells me that my ring is 1850 or earlier. Cru replied on my Today’s Finds post that it was possibly 1880s to early 1900s. I have no basis to disagree, especially since I am not knowledgeable of jewelry. Still, I can’t help thinking it’s older.

That gold ring is great. It’s nice that it had markings on it to help ID a date range. As always, I am impressed with your preservation skills.

Hope you had a nice summer. Take care and happy hunting.

Thanks for your kind words Steve. I also appreciate you letting me know what Cru thought about your ring. I don't see any indications that this a mourning ring though.

Mourning jewellery commonly represented a connection to a deceased loved one. Mourning jewellery often featured a tribute to the person, commonly with an inscription, their initials, an eternal knot, lock of hair, a cameo or silhouette of the deceased. Mourning jewellery comes in many styles but most were brooches, hair pins, tie pins, memorium rings and lockets. The materials used varied, but a significant amount of the mourning jewellery produced during the Victorian period was made of jet, because of its dark black colour. Jet is a fossilized coal mostly found near Whitby in the Northeast of England.

The most common symbolism of mourning jewellery includes crucifixes or crosses, plaited hair or hair-work, flowers and floral patterns, weeping willows, cameos and female busts. Other common materials used in mourning jewellery are agate, ivory, pearl, garnet, gold or yellow metal, onyx and of course, human hair.

Early mourning jewellery could be described as more macabre and symbolized the concept of ‘memento mori’ which is a reminder that you will die. This style featured depictions of death itself, such as skulls, coffins and grave diggers. Later mourning jewellery focused on the memory of individuals with inscriptions like ‘Lost but never forgotten’ and imagery of angels or clouds and flowers like the ‘forget me not.’

 

[lenmac65]

Thanks for your kind words Steve. I also appreciate you letting me know what Cru thought about your ring. I don't see any indications that this a mourning ring though.

Mourning jewellery commonly represented a connection to a deceased loved one. Mourning jewellery often featured a tribute to the person, commonly with an inscription, their initials, an eternal knot, lock of hair, a cameo or silhouette of the deceased. Mourning jewellery comes in many styles but most were brooches, hair pins, tie pins, memorium rings and lockets. The materials used varied, but a significant amount of the mourning jewellery produced during the Victorian period was made of jet, because of its dark black colour. Jet is a fossilized coal mostly found near Whitby in the Northeast of England.

The most common symbolism of mourning jewellery includes crucifixes or crosses, plaited hair or hair-work, flowers and floral patterns, weeping willows, cameos and female busts. Other common materials used in mourning jewellery are agate, ivory, pearl, garnet, gold or yellow metal, onyx and of course, human hair.

Early mourning jewellery could be described as more macabre and symbolized the concept of ‘memento mori’ which is a reminder that you will die. This style featured depictions of death itself, such as skulls, coffins and grave diggers. Later mourning jewellery focused on the memory of individuals with inscriptions like ‘Lost but never forgotten’ and imagery of angels or clouds and flowers like the ‘forget me not.’

Thanks for the info, Dave. I thought the mourning ring was a long shot. I just thought the rectangular box was interesting and might have been where the inscription was. The mourning rings I have seen on line tend to be gold or a darker material, as opposed to brass like this one. I lean toward your original guess. I.e, an older wedding band, maybe for a woman. Sometimes the mystery is what makes this hobby so fun. Thanks again. Steve.