Conceived around the turn of the 18th century and made well into the 1800s, acrostic rings use the secret language of gemstones to spell words of affection. Here, a Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby and Diamond spell "REGARD" (a word of endearment meaning both love and esteem, super-popular in the 19th century.) Somewhat unusually, the stones are set deeply into the gold, using a rub-over technique called burnishing to secure them flush to the band. It's a sleek alternative to raised prongs or bezels.
MATERIALS: 14k gold (tests), 1.5mm ruby, 1.7mm emerald, 2.7mm garnet, 3mm amethyst, 1.7mm ruby, 1.3mm diamond
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good - mark on the back of the shank from a previous resizing
SIZE: 8.25, can be slightly resized; 5mm head, 1.8mm shank