A gold posy ring with D-section band, inscribed internally with 'More assured then professed' with long S's in lower case with small foliate scroll after. 2.42 grams, 18.46 mm overall, 16.65 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)

Acquired on the UK antiques market between 1974-1985.
Albert Ward collection, Essex, UK.

See Evans, J., English Posies and Posy Rings, London, 1931, for many examples.

A gold posy ring with D-section band, inscribed internally with 'LET THIS VS TI VNTIL WE DI' inscription (let this us tie until we die). 1.66 grams, 17.36 mm overall, 15.61 mm internal diameter (approximate size British I 1/2, USA 4 1/2, Europe 8.07, Japan 7)

Acquired on the UK antiques market between 1974-1985.
Albert Ward collection, Essex, UK.

See Evans, J., English Posies and Posy Rings, London, 1931, for many examples.

A gold posy ring with D-section band inscribed internally 'A friends gift' in lower case with initials 'I M' added after; with 'crown over T H' maker's punch. 1.94 grams, 15.23 mm overall, 12.85 mm internal diameter

Acquired on the UK antiques market between 1974-1985.
Albert Ward collection, Essex, UK.

See Evans, J., English Posies and Posy Rings, London, 1931, p.16, for this inscription.

A slender annular gold band inscribed in cursive hand to the interior: 'In Unity lets live & die', followed by maker's mark 'JK' within a rectangular cartouche. 1.37 grams, 19.64 mm overall, 17.97 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P 1/2, USA 7 3/4, Europe 16.86, Japan 16)

Found Romney Marsh area, Kent, UK.
Property of a Kent gentleman.

Cf. The British Museum, museum number 'posy ring AF.1315', for a very similar ring with this inscription and seemingly the same maker's mark; it is noted that this maker's mark has not been identified in any standard reference works; believed active c.1755-1764.

A large gold posy ring with D-section hoop inscribed internally 'GODLYE LOVE WILL NOT REMOVE' in Roman capitals 2.95 grams, 21.16 mm overall, 19.37 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S 1/2, USA 9 1/4, Europe 20.63, Japan 19)

Acquired on the UK antiques market between 1974-1985.
Albert Ward collection, Essex, UK.

See Evans, J., English Posies and Posy Rings, London, 1931, p.43, for this inscription.

A gold signet ring composed of a D-section hoop and facetted oval bezel, engraved with crest depicting a forearm and hand oriented right, holding a floral spray composed of three five-petalled flowers and four leaves, set within a beaded octagonal border. 9.78 grams, 24.40 mm overall, 20.51 mm internal diameter (approximate size British V, USA 10 1/2, Europe 23.77, Japan 22)

Acquired in the 1980s.
Property of a London gentleman.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11663-197588.

Signet rings were jewellery items serving practical functions, and were pressed into hot wax to seal letters and packets. Personal seals or secreta acted as a legal safeguard, since they were used to witness wills, loans, commercial, personal and other documents. Such rings were often engraved with a coat of arms, initials, merchant's mark or some other personal symbol. Painted portraits of this period portray the wearer with the signet ring on the thumb or forefinger, allowing for practical use.

A substantial gold signet ring composed of a lentoid-section hoop, expanding capital style shaped shoulders and irregular octagonal bezel engraved with a skull, two flowers below separating the reversed initials in capitals: 'CL', framed by a beaded border. 15.65 grams, 27.14 mm overall, 22.68 mm internal diameter (approximate size British X, USA 11 1/2, Europe 26.29, Japan 25)

Acquired in the 1980s.
Property of a London gentleman.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11664-197587.

Cf. The Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 197587, for a very similar ring dated c.1600 A.D.; cf. The V&A Museum, accession numbers M.272-1962, M.378-1927 and M.273-1962, for broadly comparable examples.

Signet rings were jewellery items serving practical functions, and were pressed into hot wax to seal letters and packets. Personal seals or secreta acted as a legal safeguard, since they were used to witness wills, loans, commercial, personal and other documents. Such rings were often engraved with a coat of arms, initials, merchant's mark or some other personal symbol. Painted portraits of this period portray the wearer with the signet ring on the thumb or forefinger, allowing for practical use. Skulls on rings were potent symbols of mortality. 'Memento mori' or 'remember that you must die' imagery served as a reminder to the Christian of the need to keep their soul in good order for the final judgment.

A gold George I period memento mori ring decorated around the exterior with a stylised human skeleton against a black enamelled field, the body featuring an elongated neck, exaggerated numbers of ribs and disproportionately short legs, with a crescent at the base of the feet; interior engraved 'SN 17.17'. 3.15 grams, 20.76 mm overall, 18.77 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q 1/2, USA 8 1/4, Europe 18.12, Japan 17)

Acquired in the late 1990s-2000.
Property of an East London gentleman.

Cf. The British Museum, museum number AF.1605 'mourning-ring', for similar dated 1727.

A Queen Anne period gold ring composed of a slender hoop with expanding shoulders formed as the ball-joints of long bones; bezel formed as an elongated stylised skull featuring large eye-sockets set with facetted diamonds; white enamelled teeth and head detailing; accompanied by a vintage ring box. 2.82 grams, 19.54 mm overall,17.22 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J 1/2, USA 5, Europe 9.32, Japan 9)

Acquired from Berganza, Hatton Garden, London, 2016.
Property of an East Sussex collector.

Accompanied by a copy of the Berganza invoice.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11665-197583.

Cf. The V&A Museum, London, accession number 528-1868, for a ring of similar type.

Likely a ring of the memento mori genre. The V & A Museum states that during the 'Renaissance, the ring developed from the simple forms of the medieval period into a miniature work of art, combining the skills of the chaser, engraver and enameller as well as the stone cutter.'

A Georgian-era 15 carat gold and silver 'poison' ring, composed of a slender hoop of scrolls and crescents with a plain panel at the base, expanding shoulders formed as openwork foliate flourishes set with small stones; oval cluster bezel set with a central cushion-cut emerald weighing approximately 4.06 cts, held in a pierced setting with twisted gold wire collar, and surrounded by rose-cut diamonds; hinged bezel revealing a secret compartment beneath, the reverse domed and engraved with a stylised shell motif. 10.02 grams, 28.41 mm overall, 17.91 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)

Acquired from Platt Boutique Jewelry, Inc., West Hollywood, California, USA, 2016.
Property of an East Sussex collector.

Accompanied by a copy of the Platt Boutique Jewelry invoice.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11668-197586.

See discussion in Jones, W., Finger-ring Lore, London, 1877, p.433.

'Poison rings' became popular in Europe during the 16th century, and Lucrezia Borgia is popularly believed to have used one. The compartment within the bezel was used to conceal poison, a lock of hair or other substances.

A gold ring composed of a slender hoop embellished with tapering, white enamelled shoulders with black enamelled flourishes, fluted box collet setting, set with a pink foil back and table-cut rock crystal; accompanied by a vintage ring box. 1.89 grams, 21.50 mm overall, 16.63 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L 1/2, USA 6, Europe 11.87, Japan 11)

Valued by Bentley & Skinner, Piccadilly, London W1, 2016.
Property of an East Sussex collector.

Accompanied by a copy of the Bentley & Skinner insurance valuation.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11669-197584.

Cf. The V&A Museum, accession number 1112-1864, for a similar ring; cf. Oman, C., British Rings 800-1914, London, 1974, pl. 3, for similar rings; cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, Vol.1, Leeds, 1994, items 757-758, for similar; cf. Oman, C., British Rings 800-1914, London, 1974, pl. III, for a similar ring.

The V & A Museum explains that during the '...Renaissance, the ring developed from the simple forms of the medieval period into a miniature work of art, combining the skills of the chaser, engraver and enameller as well as the stone cutter.

A classic, Renaissance era gold ring composed of a slender D-section hoop, widening at the shoulders, fashioned as architectural capitals with strapwork and elaborate projecting scrolls in opaque white and blue enamel, embellished with red and green enamelled detailing; square bezel with box setting set with a table-cut ruby, pairs of blue enamelled cusplets to each of the four faces, stepped base below ornamented with a black enamelled bead moulded collar, bezel reverse of flat inverted pyramidal form and divided into four triangles, two with black enamelled hatching; retaining the majority of the original enamelling; accompanied by a Les Enluminures presentation box. 4.66 grams, 22.94 mm overall, 16.90 mm internal diameter (approximate size British H, USA 3 3/4, Europe 6.18, Japan 6)

Acquired from Les Enluminures Ltd, Illinois, USA, 2016.
Property of an East Sussex collector.

Accompanied by a Les Enluminures certificate of authenticity.
Accompanied by a copy of the Les Enluminures invoice.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11670-197580.

Cf. The V&A museum, accession number 731-1902, for a similar ring dated 1550-1600 A.D.; cf. Scarisbrick, D. et al., Toward an Art History of Medieval Rings: A private Collection, pp.204-205, for a similar ring; cf. The British Museum, museum number 1872,0604.425, 'Finger-ring; gold; on each shoulder a band of leaf shapes reserved in the metal on a ground of black enamel; pyramidal bezel, also enamelled in black, supported by four large claws, and containing a crystal', for a similar ring; cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, Vol. 1, Leeds, 1994, item 689, for similar.

Rubies were a potent symbol of status and social distinction in later medieval Europe, frequently adorning royal crowns. In the Renaissance, however, they conveyed a personal, more intimate message, their red colour, like the rose, emblematic of love. The intensity of the red colour was often enhanced with a foil lining to the setting and were popular as betrothal and wedding rings. It is believed that rubies symbolised the virtues of marriage and eternal matrimonial love. Such rings held an international appeal, making attribution to specific workshops or countries very difficult. The V & A Museum explains that 'Renaissance, the ring developed from the simple forms of the medieval period into a miniature work of art, combining the skills of the chaser, engraver and enameller as well as the stone cutter.'