Poison ring

In other cases, the poison ring was used to facilitate the suicide of the wearer in order to preclude capture or torture.

[3] People more commonly died from suicide rather than murder caused by the poison ring.

A very popular use for these rings was to store perfume, special items, talismans, keepsakes or small portraits.

[5] People would even store the teeth, hair, and bones of the dead, especially of saints or martyrs,[6] because it was believed to protect and cast away misfortune.

Carrying things in rings was common, but the science of making a deadly poison that could kill someone from just a drop was challenging for most.

[2] Carthaginian General Hannibal committed suicide in order to avoid capture by Roman soldiers.

“Ring.” Edited by Amy Tikkanen, Encyclopædia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/art/ring-jewelry Waldie, Marcy.