Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Mid-Nineteenth Scarf Ring

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This luxurious scarf ring, intended to secure a scarf to an outfit, was made in the Mid Nineteenth Century in Central Europe. A work of enameled gold, it is set with a step cut colorless topaz.

Such rings were both practical and beautiful. As women’s fashion often incorporated various shawls and scarves, a scarf ring served to keep these items neatly in place and arranged in any number of specific ways dictated by the changing fashions of the time.

Furthermore, a scarf ring would have been a suitable token of affection offered during a courtship—not as serious as a finger ring, but more permanent than flowers.