Minnesang

Antique Emerald and Diamond Crowned Heart Ring, c. 1760


€ 3,290.00 *
Content 1 piece
Incl. VAT, Shipping
Antique Emerald and Diamond Crowned Heart Ring, c. 1760
Antique Emerald and Diamond Crowned Heart Ring, c. 1760
Description
This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!
She who has possessed my heart Will remain unforgotten by me. Der von Sachsendorf, from a love song of the 15th century. Giving a piece of jewellery in the shape of a heart is a deeply symbolic act. Heart-shaped love rings in particular conquered the rococo courtly world around the middle of the 18th century. This ring was also once a promise of love: Beneath a stylized crown of diamonds, it shows a heart made of emerald, held by a narrow gold setting. The emerald has been renewed over time. It is an emerald from Brazil, and emeralds from Brazil have only been available to goldsmiths in Europe since around 1910. However, the setting of the emerald is original and has always been designed for a stone in the shape of a heart. Unlike today, the heart symbols of the Rococo period had an archaic shape without a notch at the top. This is due to the historical genesis of the motif: The heart symbol, which in itself has little in common with the shape of the organ, probably established itself from illuminations in medieval minstrel literature. Here, depictions of lovers were often framed with ivy leaves - roughly heart-shaped from our point of view - painted in the color of love, red. This may have something to do with the fact that ivy clings firmly to all surfaces and is evergreen, so that it is also considered a plant of fidelity. The ring is a beautiful testimony to the cultivation of romantic love in the courtly culture of the 18th century. Comparable examples can be found in the literature, for example in Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke: Jewelry from three millennia. Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke Collection, Cologne 2000, p. 285. The ring has always been worn, as its condition reflects: the original ring band was replaced in earlier times. We were able to discover it in England, but it was probably made in Central or Western Continental Europe.
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Size & Details
Antique Emerald and Diamond Crowned Heart Ring, c. 1760
Minnesang
€ 3,290.00 *
Content 1 piece
Incl. VAT, Shipping
Our Promise
Our Promise
Our Promise

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You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

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