DATE: Georgian, c.1830
Parents can be quite sentimental when it comes to their children and having a little keepsake collection can be seen as the "norm". From first locks of hair, a first drawing, a pair of baby shoes or even their hospital wristband. For the Georgians, setting milk teeth into jewellery became very popular. It was a time where infant mortality rates were high, and if your child grew old enough to lose a tooth it was an event worth commemorating. These pieces were also borrowed to their sisters or close friends to enhance fertility. Moving onto the Victorian period, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were very sentimental, and used the baby teeth of their children to be set into jewellery.
In this case, this ring is set with a child's milk tooth, along with a woven lock of hair threaded through the band (for the added sentiment). A gold wire border with a loop at each of the compass point surrounds the tooth, and the looped outer band features engraved details. It's crafted in 9 karat gold throughout and dates to circa 1830.
MEASUREMENTS
Head: 10.8 x 11.8mm
Width of band :3.2mm
WEIGHT
2.13g
MARKS
No marks present, tests as 9k gold
CONDITION
Good overall condition. The tooth is slightly cracked and the hair no longer quite covers the full circumference of the band.
