{"product_id":"victorian-1866-15ct-gold-turquoise-diamond-forget-me-not-locket-ring","title":"Victorian 1866 15ct Gold Turquoise \u0026 Diamond Forget-Me-Not Locket Ring","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA wonderfully romantic Victorian forget-me-not ring, beautifully made in 15ct gold and fully hallmarked in Birmingham in 1866, featuring a delicate turquoise flower centred with a tiny diamond and a secret locket compartment to the reverse.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring the Victorian period, jewellery was often used to communicate messages that might otherwise have remained unspoken. Flowers, gemstones and even their colours carried particular meanings, allowing a jewel to become a very personal declaration of affection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTurquoise was especially associated with love, friendship and fidelity. Its beautiful blue colouring recalled the forget-me-not flower, whose message was wonderfully simple: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Forget me not.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA ring such as this might have been given between sweethearts, as a token of enduring affection, or to someone dearly loved with the hope that they would always remember the giver.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe tiny diamond at the centre is another particularly lovely detail. This ring was hallmarked in 1866, just before the great South African diamond discoveries of the late 1860s and early 1870s transformed the world's diamond supply. Before these discoveries, diamonds were considerably less abundant in the jewellery market than they would become later in the century. Even a tiny diamond could therefore be a meaningful addition to a sentimental jewel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerhaps the most intimate feature is hidden beneath the flower. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe reverse contains a small locket compartment, originally intended to hold a treasured keepsake, perhaps a lock of hair from a loved one. Such compartments are often associated with mourning jewellery today, but they were by no means exclusively used to remember those who had died. Hair was also exchanged between lovers, friends and family members as a deeply personal expression of affection. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe original glass covering the locket compartment to the reverse is missing, although the compartment itself remains. This has been taken into account when describing the ring.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this context, the combination of turquoise, diamond and a hidden locket makes this a particularly touching example of Victorian love jewellery. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Parkin and Gerrish","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57713935384949,"sku":"230M","price":750.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0373\/3428\/6475\/files\/victorian-1866-15ct-gold-turquoise-diamond-forget-me-not-locket-ring-6831483.jpg?v=1793778459","url":"https:\/\/parkinandgerrish.com\/ja\/products\/victorian-1866-15ct-gold-turquoise-diamond-forget-me-not-locket-ring","provider":"Parkin and Gerrish","version":"1.0","type":"link"}