Mourning ring

They were usually paid for by the person commemorated, or their heirs, and often specified, along with the list of intended recipients, in wills.

[2] Stones mounted on the rings were usually black, and where it could be afforded jet was the preferred option.

[4] The style largely settled upon was a single small stone with details of the decedent recorded in enamel on the hoop.

[4] In the latter half of the 19th century the style shifted towards mass produced rings featuring a photograph mounted on the bezel before the use of mourning rings largely ceased towards the end of the century.

[8] The rings were made of bakelite and mounted a small picture of the person being mourned.

Five mourning rings made between 1745 and 1826
Victorian mourning ring with hair enclosed in 18ct gold