Mid Victorian DEAREST Acrostic Ring

The tradition of assigning gemstones to letters of the alphabet began in France, where jewelers devised "acrostic" jewels that spelled out hidden messages of love. In 1806, Mellerio dits Meller - famed for outfitting Marie Antoinette - created an acrostic jewel that spelled out J'ADORE. The idea captured imaginations across Europe, and soon even those without royal jewelers could wear those coded adornments. In Victorian England, the most popular acrostic words were "REGARD", "ADORE", and most affectionately, "DEAREST". Here, a Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire and Topaz spell out "DEAREST" in the secret language of gemstones. Faint but legible hallmarks tell us it was made in Birmingham in 1865. AGE: c. 1865 (faint but legible hallmarks for Birmingham 1865) CONDITION: Very good - small mark from a previous repair on the shoulder abutting the diamond SIZE: 8.25, resizing not recommended due to the engraving on the hoop; 4.5mm head, 2.1mm shank