Object of the Day, Museum Edition: An Antique Rose-Cut Diamond Child’s Ring

Ring
Seventeenth Century, England
Gold and a Rose-Cut Diamond
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I have always been fascinated by jewelry, as anyone who reads this site with any regularity can tell.  I like to learn the way different cultures and eras have chosen to adorn themselves and the social rules which govern who can wear what and when.

This ring from the V&A is the oldest that I’ve found thus far. Created in England at some point in the Seventeenth Century (probably between 1650 and 1680), this ring is a little worse for wear, but is still in remarkably good condition for its age. A gold band has been set with a small rose-cut diamond (which appears to be foil-backed as most rose-cut diamonds of the era were).

Designed specifically for a child, this ring is inscribed on the inside with the phrase, “This spark will grow,” which is really quite sweet. It makes me wonder for whom this ring was made and how long he or she wore it. We’ll never really know, but I’m thrilled that this dear piece of jewelry has survived for over three hundred years.