Description

Early Victorian 14kt Black Enamel Hair-Work Mourning Ring (Vintage)

You know we don’t shy away from mourning jewelry here at KC & Co. Some folks just don’t get it, and that’s ok. But we’ve always been fascinated by it. There are common themes (bows, flourishes, black enamel) but every once in a while we come across a piece that’s rare by nature of its size. Our small early victorian 14kt yellow gold black enamel hair-work mourning ring (which used to be a pin) is teeny tiny, making it an unusual specimen.

What We Love About It:

Its size. It’s almost like a doll-house sized piece – not the normal statement piece size we usually see. That makes it incredibly wearable and much more unisex in nature. It’s a tiny piece of historic art.

The Deets:

The former primitive pin works to the verso of the piece suggested very early Victorian as a time-frame and yet the black enamel work with 14kt yellow gold flourish details is nearly pristine. The braided hair under glass has not faired as well but is still in good condition, given its age. The piece measures 5/8″ by 7/16″ and weighs 5.2g and is now a US size 5.5 but could easily be sized up or down by our jeweler (message us for pricing and details) or by yours. There are no hallmarks and there is no engraving to suggest to whom this memorial may have belonged but we find it lovely nonetheless. (Last picture in the line up was taken when this was still a pin.)

Our mourning-works collectors will hop on this piece in a heartbeat, so if it tickles your fancy (or just piques your curiosity) don’t dilly dally on this one. As an old professor used to tell me, “History sells, baby.”