By far the finest Stuart Crystal ring we've ever had: a clear skull and crossbones lays over a ground of plaited hair. It's not unusual to see skulls decorating rings from this period, but usually they're damaged, faded, or otherwise hard to see. This one's immaculate. Perhaps even more exciting: engraved on the inside of the 22k band are the words "Remember me Tho I am gon". A twisted gold wire cypher - perhaps the initials CR - commemorate the death of someone who died "obt 31 Aug 1715 Ata:81". The (intact!) enamel on the underside, the rose cut rock crystal, the cypher, the decoration overall - all elements are typical of Stuart era jewelry design. If you want to get technical about it, this ring was actually made during the first year of the Georgian era. Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, died in 1714 and the throne immediately passed to George 1. As we know, though, fashions don't change overnight. It took quite a while for the distinctive Georgian style of jewelry to evolve.
MATERIALS: 22k gold (tests), rose cut rock crystal, gold thread cipher CR (?) over ground pf plaited hair and skull
AGE: Dedicated in 1715
CONDITION: Very good - has retained most of the original enamel fluting on the underside of the head; very minor surface wear
SIZE: 6.5, cannot be resized; 1.16cm x 1.3cm head, 2.5mm shank