Acrostic jewelry came into fashion at the tail end of the Georgian era. Invented by the French jeweler Mellerio in 1809, the fad for the acrostic style swept over the European continent and Great Britain, and remained popular through the end of the 19th century. Acrostic jewelry uses the first letter of the name of a gemstone to spell a hidden message or word. In the case of this ring, the word "regard" (19th century vernacular equivalent to "I adore you") for is spelled using the stones ruby, emerald (is actually emerald paste but appears to be original to the ring), garnet, amethyst, ruby, diamond. The ring has an unusual (and quite bold) boat-shaped face, the graduated stones are mounted in closed back settings. Please take note that though this ring is in very good condition, it is also very old and may not be suitable for everyday wear.
- Materials: 15k yellow gold, 2.2mm ruby, 2.6mm emerald paste (appears to be original abraided top), 4.3 x 4mm garnet, 4.2 x 4.4mm amethyst (small chip table facet), 2.5 x 2.1mm ruby, 2mm rose cut diamond
- Age: c. 1820
- Condition: Very good- was re-shanked at some point with later hallmarks added, please see notes to gemstone condition above
- Size: 9.75, can be resized for an additional fee of $90; 6.8mm head, 2mm hoop