This Victorian snake bangle was made in pinchbeck and set with a cluster of deep red rose-cut garnets. Rose-cut rock crystal eyes give her a particularly alert expression, while the long, tapering body curls around the wrist and crosses over itself at the front. Snakes were everywhere in Victorian jewelry, where their circular, self-devouring form made them natural symbols of eternity, fidelity, and enduring love. The motif became especially fashionable after Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a serpent engagement ring in 1839, and remained popular for decades afterward.
MATERIALS: pinchbeck, rose cut garnets, rose cut rock crystal eyes
AGE: c. 1860
CONDITION: Very good - minor surface wear and oxidation commensurate with age and use
SIZE: 6 1/2" inner circumference, 7/8" at the widest point of the head, 1/8" shank