JEWELERY AND BINGS.
 

27
 

  A gold ring dug up near the remains of a cromlech at Barton, Oxfordshire;

the hoop has eight facets: weight 3 dwts. 16 gr.   Figured in Arch.  Journ.

vol. vi. p. 290.—Mr. C. Faulkner, Deddington.

  Small  silver ring dug up in 1848 in the grave yard of St.  Owen's church,

Gloucester, in making excavations for the new  Docks.   Weight, 23  grains.

The hoop is inscribed outside—ave maria, and inside,—a g l a, (with crosses

between  the letters,) a talismanic word which has been explained to be com¬

posed of  the initials of Hebrew words signifying, thou art powerful and eternal,

0 Lord!—A silver talismanic ring, found in 1860 in Suffolk, inscribed with

the names  of the three  Xings of Cologne:—*  Caspar * Melchior * Baltazar.

(See notices of other rings thus inscribed, Arch. Journ., vol. xv. p. 274.)—

A posy ring found in Suffolk; date, fifteenth century.'—J. D. Thomas Niblet, Esq.

   Small gold ring set with a sapphire,  found in Gloucester; xiii. cent.—

A gold gimmal ring, formed of four thin hoops interlaced together, two of

which are plain, two are corded.—A gold ring, of flexible  flat chains, supposed

to be Venetian, but possibly of Indian work.  A collet is attached  set with

an emerald.—Mrs. Wright Daniel, Longford House, near Gloucester.

  Twenty finger rings  of various periods.  The  collection included a very fine

gold ring  set  with an  uncut  carbuncle; it was dug  up near Pulborough,

Sussex.  The shoulders are ornamented with foliage in high relief, in the style

of the fourteenth century.—Four gimmal; or puzzle, rings, of which one is

composed of nine hoops intertwining together; in each of two other specimens

four hoops are found combined.—An exquisitely enameled Italian  betrothal

ring, of cinquecento work,  set with a ruby; at the lower  part of the hoop is a

fede or symbol of two hands conjoined.—Three betrothal rings, each  having

the symbol of two hearts surmounted by a crown, denoting the sovereignty of

love over the  heart.—Ten  plain gold betrothal  rings, having posies engraved

within the hoop, such as the following,—Knitt in one by Christ alone,—God

above  send  peace and  love,—and—Wee joyn our loue in God aboue.   These

nuptial tokens, sometimes  designated gipsy-rings,  appear to have been much

in fashion in the seventeenth and  eighteenth centuries, the period to which

likewise  the rings with  crowned hearts above  described may be assigned.—

Two pairs of ear-rings  set with  crystal; two Neapolitan  enamels set with

marquisettes; rosaries of  gold  and  pearls;  four jeweled  pendants and

crosses,  with other specimens of jewelery.—Chased  silver mountings  for

book  covers, of elegant  design.—A gold  watch,  with an enameled portrait

of Madame du  Barry,  to  whom  it  is  stated   to  have been presented by

Louis  XV.  about 1770.   Over  the  portrait is a royal crown jeweled.—

The Rev. James Beck,  Vicar of Parham, Sussex.

  A small ring of gold  with the symbol of two hearts ensigned with a crown,

set  with pearls and emeralds.   It is  said  to  have been  a gift from Mary

Queen of Scots, at Fotheringhay, to one of her attendants, with whose family

it was  preserved, until  given to the present possessor by the last descendant___

Mrs. Ogle, Sedgeford Rectory, Suffolk.

  A chatelaine,  the pendant ornaments set with mother-of-pearl, mounted in

ormolu;  a good example  of French work.—Also another chatelaine of English

repoussi work; date, about 1700.—Miss Street,  Reigate.

  A ring of base metal, in  form resembling Roman rings,  but of uncertain

date;  it bears the letters SPQR, chased  in very low relief.  Found near Ley-

land, Lancashire.—Diminutive gold ring; found in ploughing at Cuerdale,