An acrostic ring is a

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

romantic 19th century ring in which the initials of the precious stones mounted on the band spell out a word such as ''dearest'' or ''regards''.

Dearest ring

In terms of design, the most common forms are either as a straight line with stones arranged to 'spell' the intended word, and octagon or daisy shapes. The word "dearest" is an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

, spelled out with seven stones: * diamond * emerald * amethyst or

alexandrite The mineral or gemstone chrysoberyl is an aluminate of beryllium with the formula Be Al2 O4. The name chrysoberyl is derived from the Greek words χρυσός ''chrysos'' and βήρυλλος ''beryllos'', meaning "a gold-white spar". Despite ...

* ruby * emerald * sapphire * topaz

Regards ring

A regards ring was a 19th century ring in which the initials of the precious stones mounted on the band spelled out the word "regards" in an implicit

acrostic An acrostic is a poem or other word composition in which the ''first'' letter (or syllable, or word) of each new line (or paragraph, or other recurring feature in the text) spells out a word, message or the alphabet. The term comes from the Fre ...

: * Ruby * Emerald * Garnet * Amethyst * Ruby * Diamond * Sapphire

Others

Other terms of affection spelled out in gemstones include ''adore'' (amethyst, diamond,

opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...

, ruby, emerald), and love (

lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, ...

, opal, vermarine, emerald), Other terms of affection found in rings include the French ''souvenir''. Later variations included the spelling of another word or a person's name. In some cases paste gems were use rather than precious stones. Traditionally, these rings, though seen as romantic and tokens of love, were not given as engagement rings.

References

External links

Thomas Crofton Croker, ''Catalogue of a collection of ancient and mediaeval rings and personal ornaments formed for lady Londesborough'', London, 1853

Fred W. Burgess, ''Antique Jewellery and Trinkents'', New York, 1919
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dearest Ring Rings (jewellery) Engagement Pre-wedding Victorian culture