Acrostic ring

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A dearest ring in which the T is represented by tourmaline instead of topaz. Dearest Ring.jpg
A dearest ring in which the T is represented by tourmaline instead of topaz.

An acrostic ring is a ring on which the initials of the gemstones on the band spell out a word in an acrostic style. In some cases, paste gems were used instead of precious stones. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Acrostic rings were developed in France in the early 19th century by the jewelry company Mellerio dits Meller, and later became popular in England. [3] [4] They were given and worn during the Georgian and Victorian eras. [5] Acrostic rings were given as romantic gifts, and their messages were sentimental. [6] Alternatively, they would be used to form a secret message. [3] Some acrostic rings were used as engagement rings. [7]

Acrostic rings have been created and given in later eras, including in the 20th and 21st centuries. [8] [9] [3]

Variants

A regards acrostic ring (c. 2023) based on 19th century regards rings. Regards acrostic ring.jpg
A regards acrostic ring (c. 2023) based on 19th century regards rings.

Acrostic rings were made with gemstones representing sentimental and romantic words, including the following:

French words such as souvenir from se souvenir (I remember) and amitié (friendship) were also represented in acrostic jewelry. [5]

Some acrostic rings represented lovers' names. [6]

Letters

The letters of the spelt word come from the initials of some gems' names. Accordingly, stones used for each letter include:

References

  1. ↑ Tolkien, Tracy; Wilkinson, Henrietta (1997). A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry Key Styles and how to recognize them. Firefly Books. p. 47. ISBN   1552091562.
  2. 1 2 Tolkien, Tracy; Wilkinson, Henrietta (1997). A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry Key Styles and how to recognize them. Firefly Books. p. 49. ISBN   1552091562.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Beckett, Kathleen (2022-01-24). "Jewelry That Really Spells It Out". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  4. ↑ Voitiuk, A A (2019-03-25). "Non-traditional symbolism techniques in jewelry design". IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 229 (1): 012003. Bibcode:2019E&ES..229a2003V. doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/229/1/012003 . ISSN   1755-1315.
  5. 1 2 Gänsicke, Susanne; Markowitz, Yvonne J. (2019). Looking at jewelry: a guide to terms, styles, and techniques. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum. ISBN   978-1-60606-610-2.
  6. 1 2 "JOTTINGS". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1900-08-04. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  7. 1 2 "Fashion's Mandates". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 27, 1899. p. 7. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  8. ↑ "in Town and Out". Herald. 1933-08-28. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  9. ↑ "Questions Answered". The Los Angeles Times. August 24, 1923. p. 8. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  10. ↑ Boyd, L.M. (13 April 1994). "Regarding a "regards ring"". Ellensburg Daily Record.
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