A very fine Georgian mourning ring dated 1805. Gold; black, white and gold enamel and a garnet. Although extremely sad it is a historical piece reminding of the importance of memento mori jewellery to people 220 years ago, often commissioned by wealthy relatives it would have been expensive to make, a reminder that antique items like this can transcend the constraints of time, commemorating a life before the industrial revolution, before electricity, before mechanical travel, a world so utterly different from our world today – and yet it is still here.