What Is a Mourning Ring?
Societies dating back to ancient times have used rings to memorialize the dead. Mourning rings came to be very popular as a means to remember the deceased in Victorian England, and are still in use today.
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History
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Various ancient cultures around the world, dating back to pre-industrial societies, used jewelry as a means to commemorate of the dead.
Popularity
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The use of memorial rings gained popularity during the time of the Black Death which spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. This practice reached the height of its popularity during the 1800s in England, when Queen Victoria created a mourning ring for the passing of her lover Prince Albert.
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Bequeathing
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Memorial rings were often times designed by an individual to be given to their heirs upon their death. In addition, memorial rings were some times given while still alive to remind others of the preciousness of life.
Common Design
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Mourning rings were generally inscribed with the name and date of passing of the deceased. Frequent design motifs included skeletons and tiny skulls. Also, lockets of the deceased's hair were oftentimes stored beneath any inset stones.
Modern Mourning Rings
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Though not as common as they were during the 18th and 19th centuries, mourning rings are still a popular method for memorializing the dead. However, modern mourning rings are much more of an individual choice, and do not rely upon the shared symbolism and imagery of the 18th and 19th century mourning rings.
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