Very rare antique rosary ring. Chapelet or chaplet. 18k gold and enamel. Origin and date:
Originally believed to be made in France, but could be English. Date is very early - from 16th - to very early 19th century. See below for origin and date discussion.
Unisex - suitable for a man or a woman.
Measurements:
US size 6.3 . Weighs 0.9 grams.
Description :
Tiny, exceptional ring with a Christian religious function. Fits an average sized finger. The bezel is a flat gold oval, enamelled with a black ground enclosing a cross of gold and white enamel, also in the form of a cross. The border is white enamel, partially worn. The hoop is very rare - upon first glance it is a simple gold band, but closer inspection shows that there are stations with raised gold bumps. These would be used to count special prayers and perform the same function as a regular rosary. In France, these bumps are known as chapelet, giving rise to the term chaplet in English. It serves the exact same purpose as a regular rosary. The person marks off each prayer by moving his/her finger to the next bead or bump.
The ring rosary is very, very rare. It is a pretty little thing and can be worn alone or stacked with other rings.
Marks:
No marks but acid tested as 18k gold.
Condition:
Wear to both the gold. Black enamel ground and white enamel of cross are in relatively good shape. White enamel of border is worn commensurate with age and use. Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.
THE STORY AGE and ORIGIN:
This is one of the rings from a collection of Mourning Rings bought in Paris. Initially, I assumed that it was French, but there are no hallmarks, which is quite unusual for jewelry from the late 18th century in France.
Rings like this were made from an even earlier period, the 16th century, during the Reformation in England. Clare Phillips, in her book on Jewels and Jewelry (page 36) explains: In England the Reformation resulted in the banning of what were considered particularly Catholic items... included rosaries....Recusant catholic use of the rosary ring rather than rosary beads increased as a more discreet way to count one's prayers - these rings had ten ridges around the hoop, on which to count the ten 'aves' that made up each decade or section of the rosary.
In her book on Rings, Diana Scarisbrick explains that the bezel (top of the ring, with the cross) was the part signifying OUR FATHER and then each bump is a HAIL MARY.
Thus, it is not at all definite that the ring is French as the English were making them 600 years ago. Had it been French from the late 1700's, it would have been hallmarked, although of course, with age and use, those would be worn away.
Clearly, this ring was used by its original religious owner and we should consider the idea of wearing a ring that such devout people wore centuries ago. As with almost all antique jewelry, we do not know who the many generations of women or men were who previously owned this ring. We can surmise a few things: These people were extremely devout and religious Catholics. They wore a small and unobtrusive, unostentatious ring to remind them and aid them with their constant prayers. From the smooth wear and patina of the ring, we know that it was well loved and well-used. How many people prayed and what did they pray about? My guess is that they had the exact same concerns then, as we have about our loved ones and families today. It is so easy to identify with the spiritual yearnings of men and women long since gone. We can cast our minds forward to the generations of people who will wear this ring in the future: men and women with the same hopes and prayers as those who came before. We will form the juncture between those past and those future.
I find this ring to be very moving.
