100 years of grief in a single mourning ring assortment.

Mourning rings and mourning jewellery are a distinct segment merchandise for jewellery collectors: they’re stunning however so intimate that not all collectors are drawn to accumulate them. Personally, I discover mourning rings fascinating. I believe there’s one thing great about the concept that an awesome loss that may be memorialized with a souvenir that you could put on everytime you need to consider them.

However this submit isn’t about mourning rings generally – this submit is to have a look at one actually distinctive assortment of mourning rings that’s headed for public sale in Fellows September 30th Fine Jewellery Sale.

This remarkable collection of Georgian and William IV gold and enamel mourning rings spans 100 years.

One of the vital intensive mourning collections to ever be offered within the UK, this assortment contains sixty-three (!!) Georgian and William IV mourning rings. The rings had been collected by Elizabeth Snaith (1805-1890) within the nineteenth century and the present proprietor is a descendant of the Snaith Household. The gathering has by no means has by no means been offered earlier than.

Each ring within the assortment is gold with enamel with one skeleton band (pictured above within the decrease proper hand nook of the picture).

The gathering consists of rings memorializing fifty distinct people and has been extensively researched. The itemizing consists of documentation assembled by the collector, together with the names on the rings, their household connections, historical past for a few of the extra notable names, and even intensive household timber for a few of the households represented. There’s extra info in the auction listing, together with images of a few of the documentation. It’s actually unimaginable.

This incredible collection of mourning rings spans 100 years

Right here’s a little bit extra background from Fellows:

The giving and carrying of mourning rings occurred extensively within the interval to the late nineteenth century. Many testator offering funds of their wills to essential benefactors for the acquisition of a hoop to be worn through the interval of mourning. Such a benefaction was an honour and would have been acquired with delight and the rings would have been worn with nice respect. We be aware that most of the named individuals that happen on this assortment left wills that gained probate on the Prerogative Courtroom of Canterbury, and their wills comprise particulars of those bequests.”

For those who’ve ever tried to purchase a mourning ring you perceive how scarce and coveted they’re and the way outstanding it’s that this assortment has SIXTY THREE of all of them collectively! It blows my thoughts greater than a little bit bit.

I’m so glad that these mourning rings made their manner into the fingers of a collector who handled them with respect and preserved them so superbly. I hope whoever is the subsequent proprietor of this standout assortment will safeguard it simply as fastidiously.

This extraordinary assortment goes up on the market on September thirtieth, so you’ll want to go check out the auction listing at Fellows earlier than then. And in the event you’re within the UK and determine to go see the gathering, please inform it hi there for me.