This yellow gold ring features a snake coiled around your finger. Its head is set with an old mine-cut diamond of approximately 0.30 carats and two small rose-cut diamonds in its eyes.
It was made by famous New Zealand jeweller Frank Hyams, who opened his jewellery business in Dunedin in 1885. In 1902, he opened a business in London and established a reputation within the English aristocratic and upper-class social circles for his unique one-off curiosity pieces. His company was liquidated in 1913.
The snake has been perceived as a symbol of both wisdom and eternity, and therefore often symbolizes eternal love, the circle of life, and hope of life after death. Snakes have been a very popular theme in jewellery for millennia, with the Ancient Egyptians already wearing snake-shaped bracelets.
The trend for snakes reached its peak in the mid-19th century, when Prince Albert gifted Queen Victoria an emerald-encrusted snake ring after their 1839 engagement, and has remained a popular theme in jewelry ever since.
General Information
Size: US 7.5, UK P, circumference 56 mm.
This ring could be resized if desired.
Weight: 7.35 grams
Age: 19th Century, circa 1890s.
Material: Hallmarked for 14k gold.
Condition: In great antique condition with only minor wear, consistent with age.
Please note that the antique box is for display purposes. This shop is based in the EU. Although antiques are exempt from taxes in most countries, buyers from outside the EU might be subject to import taxes.