Mourning ring Archive

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and Discounted Things

Creepy, but cool… that’s what Dana calls the mourning jewelry. With unique components like human hair and death dates, these pieces aren’t for everyone. But for a select few, these deeply sentimental mementos are truly special. As curators of one of the largest collections of antique and estate jewelry east of the Mississippi, we have also become guardians of these morbidly beautiful gems.

This ring features a golden placard with initials engraved across the top. The remainder of the ring is a trough-like band with raised edges. Carefully woven around the circumference are countless strands of chestnut brown hair. The hair is in excellent condition, as you can see. Braided by hand, the work is extraordinary. Shown below on my index finger, the band is a size 7.75. It’s impossible to know whether it was made for a man or a woman or whose memory it honored.

It takes a special person to own a piece of mourning jewelry. If this beauty speaks to you, perhaps today is the day. Today, we’re dropping the price to just $600.00. We truly hope to find a worthy custodian of this Victorian memento for this lifetime and beyond.

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe

Joden Girl

Baubles and Bling with Unbelievable Pricing

Although she made it famous and perhaps even mainstream, Queen Victoria was certainly not the first to honor a lost loved one with a piece of jewelry. In fact, mourning jewels were popular long before, many dating back to the 18th century. Georgians were a bit more macabre – they loved incorporating images of skeletons and death into their designs.

And while those pieces are highly collectible, it’s the endearing and tragically romantic ones that really get me. This pristine beauty has been part of the Joden collection for as long as I can remember. With closed-back construction, the center of this ring is oval in shape with twenty-two small violet-colored gems forming a border. Beneath the glass crystal is an intricately woven fabric made from pale blonde hair.

The band of the ring is dainty and narrow with delicate beaded edges. A simple inscription stands in stark contrast to the black enamel surface. It reads “M : BOND – OB : 26 – APR : 1775 – AE : 88”. The ring is quite lovely, and sits with elegant perfection on the hand. It is an astonishing 250 years old. The condition is incredible, appearing to have never been worn. It’s a treasure unlike any other.

This sweet tribute lives in Joe’s Special Box – and has been on our site since the beginning. Previously priced at $3,500.00, we are lowering the price in hopes that it will find a forever home. Whether it be in the hands of a collector, an ancestor or even a museum, this ring must be cherished. If you’re as enamored of this antique gem as I am, it can be yours for $2,850.00. That’s just $11.40 for each year of its life… a bargain at any rate.

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe

Pick of the Week – Volume 88

Baubles, Bling and Discounted Things

Pick of the Week – Volume 81

Baubles and Bling with Unbelievable Pricing

joden_jewelers