I love old signets and this is one of my favourites to date. The ring is antique, 18ct and features the highly detailed bloodstone crest of the Barnard family. The crest depicts a demi, rampant, muzzled bear above a ducal coronet (indicated as such by the three strawberry leaves across the front). Bears are much less commonly seen in heraldry than lions or boars, and in England, would have been depicted as being muzzled, as they were never seen in the wild.
This iteration of the Barnard crest was first used by John Barnard, who was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1737. The family had a long and illustrious history in England. Pictured is Cave Castle in Yorkshire, home to the Barnard family from 1748-1925. Fun to imagine that this ring would have spent a bit of time there at some point in its history.
This was likely a man’s ring, and when I found it, it had been carefully sized with an added band of 9 ct gold inside the ring. I have since removed the 9 ct sizing band, leaving a solid 18 ct ring. The ring has been resized to and O+/7.75. Sadly, the sizing band obscured the original hallmarks, but the ring has been XRF tested as 18ct. It is gorgeous on the hand and so very comfortable to wear.
Truly an heirloom piece and one that I will be sad to see go!
Material: 18ct gold and bloodstone
Size: O+/7.75 (can be further resized)
Weight: 6.9 grams