Acrostic rings are one of those things I’ve always liked, mostly because of the hidden meanings and messages behind them.
For anyone who hasn’t come across them, an acrostic ring is a type of antique jewellery that uses the first letter of each gemstone to spell out a word. It’s essentially a coded message, set in stones. In this case: ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, diamond. REGARD.
DEAREST is another well-known example often seen in Victorian jewellery, spelling diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire, tourmaline (or sometimes topaz). REGARD has a slightly different tone. Less intense and more considered. Something given to someone you hold in high regard rather than outright declaration.
The choice of gemstones is dictated by language, so the design has to work around that constraint. That’s part of the appeal. You’re not just designing a ring, you’re solving a bit of a puzzle.
There’s also something quite appealing about the privacy of it. To most people, it’s just an antique ring. To you, it carries a specific meaning. These pieces aren’t commonly found, and good examples of acrostic jewellery are even harder to come across now. They belong to a different way of thinking about jewellery entirely.
Acrostic jewellery is often traced back to Jean-Baptiste Mellerio, the Parisian jeweller to Marie Antoinette and the French court, who is credited with popularising the style in the late 18th and early 19th century.
I currently have a REGARD acrostic ring available on the website. It’s a particularly good example, with strong, well-matched stones, wavy scrollwork, and detailed hand engraving. The kind of piece that doesn’t come along often.
From the Stapylton-Smith studio,
Guillaume
a.k.a. Garnet, Unakite, Iolite, Lapis, Labradorite, Aquamarine, Unakite, Moonstone, Emerald
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