Antique jewellery tells stories. Each piece of jewellery has an intrinsic meaning and conveys a message - sometimes obvious and recognizable, sometimes encoded and readable only by the initiated. Rings in particular are those pieces of jewellery that are most richly associated with personal mind links or functions, such as the signet and coat of arms ring, the love, wedding and friendship ring, the sacred ring (such as bishop's and pope's ring) or the memorial and mourning ring.
As early as 1856, the important architect Gottfried Semper pointed out the purpose of finger rings in his work on jewellery theory: "Before, the Greeks and Romans had hardly ever thought of them other than in a trend-symbolic sense, as an amulet wearer, as a distinction of status, as a souvenir, as a signet ring, etc ." (On the formal laws of jewellery and its importance as an art symbol, p. 19.)
I have specialized in rings, which bear symbols of love and friendship: the Fede rings. In addition to the Fede ring, there are other popular representational proofs of the love oath, such as the English posies or posy rings, the acronym rings or simply - rings with the abstract heart symbol. It is not uncommon for the various design elements to be combined with one another. I invite you on a journey through the centuries!