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Introduction
One of the earliest forms mourning jewelry was the "Stuart Crystal" worn by Royalists, usually on a ribbon worn around the neck, lamenting the execution of Charles I. They are often referred to as slides since one literally slid a ribbon through the back of the ornament. Almost without exception the front carries a portrait of Charles I. As the pendant morning the loss of Sir W. F. Bau reveals, such commemorative jewelry soon developed into a form that expressed more personal losses. These mourning ornaments serve as personal rather than political expressions of grief. Statements of grief, yes, but also status: Rich people could afford such funereal party favours. In fact it was common place for a sum of money to be allocated in one's will specifically for making mourning rings. Wealth and status, determined the quality and quantity more than did than intensity of grief.
Materials
- Gold
- Rock Crystal
- Gemstones (usually foiled)
- Ivory Panels that were then pained
- Enamel (black indicated the deceased was married, white meant unmarried)
- Hair both woven and pulverized into ink.
Examples
- Mourning pendant for Sir W. F. Bau (1697)
- Mourning ring with a skull painted under the crystal
- Mourning ring with a skull painted under the crystal. For Christopher Savage aged 24. (1729)
- Three gold mourning rings dated 1682, 1708, and 1700
- Gold mourning ring inscribed "Not lost but Gone Before"
- Two gold and enamel mourning rings
- Gold and white enamel wing mourning a young child's death (1765)
- Three gold and crystal mourning rings
- Three gold and enamel mourning rings
- Mourning Ring for George Newton aged 3 (1730)
- Gold and ivory mourning ring for William Price age 3 (1784)
Last modified 29 September 2011