1886 Gothic Letter M Ring

A striking Victorian gold and enamel signet ring, dating to circa 1886. Boldly constructed in 18ct gold, the broad band centres on a polished panel applied with the letter M, dramatically rendered in Gothic black-letter script.
 
There is something wonderfully enigmatic about an antique initial ring. Once intimately connected to an individual whose story has now slipped quietly into history, the solitary letter remains: a fragment of a name, an identity and a life lived almost 140 years ago.
 
The black enamel Gothic lettering is particularly evocative, standing in dramatic contrast against the warmth of the gold. Black-letter script experienced a great revival during the Victorian period, when fascination with the medieval world permeated architecture, literature, art and decorative design.
 
A wonderfully characterful Victorian signet ring, carrying with it both the weight of its gold and the quiet mystery of its past. A surname, a sweetheart, perhaps a family name; whatever its original meaning, it now waits for a new one...
 
 
“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
 
~ Anita Loos