Victorian Grand Period (Circa 1861 - 1880) Onyx Cameo Ring

Queen Victoria in her time was the longest reigning monarch, and on the death of Prince Albert, her husband, his death plunged Queen Victoria into lifelong mourning and marked the shift into the Grand Period of Victorian jewelry design (1861–1880). 

It triggered a massive, society-wide craze for somber, symbolic mourning adornments as the Queen herself would only wear black and designs shifted toward heavy, solemn iconography like weeping willows, crosses, serpents (symbolizing eternity), and seed pearls (which symbolized tears).

This onyx cameo features a lady in a flowing garment. The image possibly features one of the three fates which is a Greek myth. The image is possibly that of Atropos, (The Inflexible or Inevitable): She cuts the thread of life with her shears, choosing the exact moment and manner of a person's death. Her Roman equivalent is Morta. 

Atropos is the eldest and most relentless of the Three Fates (Moirai) in Greek mythology, whose name means "inexorable" or "unalterable". Alongside her sisters—Clotho, who spins the thread of life, and Lachesis, who measures its length—Atropos holds the final, irreversible power of death by severing the thread with her shears.

After the death of Prince Albert, black and memorial jewellery became popular especially those that reminded one of the shortness of life. Some engravings would often feature Memento Mori. Derived from the Latin phrase meaning "remember that you must die"—comprises portable, personal ornaments designed to remind the wearer of the impermanence of life and the necessity of living piously.

This ring is not hallmarked on the inside, but the ring tests as 9K gold, which indicates that it would have been made in England. The inside of the shank is not marked.

The centrepiece is a rectangular hard stone black agate carved in relief which takes advantage of the natural colour banding found in the agate. The woman is carved out of the white banding and the background is the dark black onyx. Due to the subject matter of the ring, the shape of the centrepiece is sometimes referred to as a "tombstone" or vertical cameo ring.

The ring has wonderful engravings on the shoulders and adds charm to this lovely Victorian ring.

Ring Size: 6.0 US (Can be resized for an additional fee)
Item Weight: 2.11 g