Civil War Era Gold Ring / Sold

Civil War Era Gold Ring - Inventory Number: MIS 005 / Sold

Band is fashioned with hair.  Victorian hair jewelry whether fashioned by a home crafter or professionally by a hair weaver or a jewelry maker was the height of the romanticism and sentiment that characterized the Victorian era. Some pieces were done as mourning pieces or "momento mori" ("remember you must die"). While some may find this morbid, for the Victorians death was a common and accepted part of everyday life especially due to the higher infant mortality rate of the time and the devastation of the Civil War. Hair jewelry was not always mourning jewelry, however, as it was also crafted as love tokens from sweethearts, family members and cherished friends. Rings might be engraved with loving messages and memorials either on the face or inside the band, and might also have hidden compartments for the hair.

Inventory Number: MIS 005 / Sold