For many hundreds of years, rings were given as tokens of rememberance when friends or loved ones passed away. The tradition reached its apex in the mid-Victorian era, when the widowed Queen Victoria made elaborate mourning dress and accessories into the height of fashion. Today mourning jewels are sought after by jewelry collectors as beautiful and fascinating objects from a bygone era.

Victorian mourning ring in 18k yellow gold and black enamel, featuring old mine cut diamond of approx. .25 carats. Gold gothic lettering around the band spells out IN MEMORY OF. London hallmarks indicate this ring was made c.1840s - 1860s in the United Kingdom. A tiny compartment inside, now empty, originally held a snippet of hair. In very good condition, this ring is a size 6.75 and cannot be resized.