antique ring

Hercules

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Pam’s Pictorama Post: It has been a while since I have written a jewelry post. It has not been because I haven’t acquired any, I must say. (Meanwhile, one of those other purchase posts can be found here.) I purchased Hercules from a British dealer I have done a fair amount of business with; he was on sale. (@LostOwljewelry or online here.) A simple resizing ran into some issues, and I waited for him quite a while. Ultimately, he showed and I was not disappointed. He has a sloppy bit of solder I am thinking as a result, only noticeable to the person wearing it and because it he is set in rose gold and it shows more against it.

Made in 1880 and of 9 ct gold (typical for a British, Victorian piece) it is hallmarked GG with something else I cannot read even with a loupe. I wrote about another cameo recently (that can be read here and shown below) but what I didn’t say is how I especially like the way these particular rings sit on my hand. They are very comfortable and easy to wear and although are delicate you don’t have that sense wearing them.

Another cameo that tells a story and delights me daily.

Meanwhile, cameos have a very long history, dating back to the 5th century BC. While the internet informs me that the term includes early glass carvings, I generally think of them as carved from shell or stones with contrasting layers to create the low relief image. This ring is a Victorian example of a typical shell cameo.

I am a fan of cameos, if somewhat selectively. One of my very favorite rings is the horse cameo shown here which was also one of my first significant jewelry purchases as an adult. I own not one but two small black stone ones of a woman I can only wear on my pinky – one a long-ago gift from my mother and the other an online Covid purchase. I have a classic pin of a woman my father gave me and another my sister did – I am less of a pin person so sadly they don’t get much play.

Cat cameo, Pams-Pictorama.com jewelry box collection.

One post, a year or so ago, was devoted to a cat cameo I found in my mother’s file cabinet. What could be more appropriate for me. It is a modern piece from Italy my father appears to have bought for her. That post can be found here.

My friend Deva took this photo of me and my rings on a given day for some reason. I am without Hercules here however, but yep, I like a handful of rings!

In reflecting on Hercules, it is his grit I admire. To the extent I wear my rings for encouragement (I certainly do) I especially chose Hercules for that. Depicted on my ring later in life, he seems to be working his way through or has completed his 12 terrible tasks, already sporting the skin of the lion he killed with his bare hands as his first deed. These acts were performed as atonement for the horrible act of slaying of his family while afflicted with madness induced by Hera (jealous and wrathful lover, to say the least, of Zeus) who had it out for Hercules from birth. Still, it was his to atone for and he owns up.

A close up!

This desire to atone and his labors through the 12 labors (originally 7 labors but as they will, it grew to 12) appealed to me as a reminder that we all have various difficult and seemingly impossible tasks to work through. I wear him on the days I anticipate being the most difficult. He is not good luck so much as a reminder that hard work will ultimately win the day; a good reminder when onerous and impossible seeming tasks multiply.

Throughout my day, I can look down at my hands and see stories, gifts from loved ones, rings that belonged to them first or just beauty. I do have to resist the temptation to continuously add to them – it is very addictive, but every day I construct new messages to myself for the day and of course just enjoy them too.

Ringing

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Pam’s Pictorama Post: I guess like most people, sometimes I see something and it sticks with me and nags at me until I do something. This ring was one of those things. I don’t know why but I kept imagining it on my hand and it just seemed to belong there and to me. However, it was way at the top end for what I spend on jewelry, and never from someone online and from whom I have never purchased before. Nonetheless, I kept checking and I was relieved it never showed up with a big sold on it when I looked. (A few other jewelry posts can be found here and here.) Pictorama readers know I do love jewelry!

Another utterly favorite ring. This is an antique cameo set in a contemporary gold setting. Saw this in LA on a business trip and had to contact the store a week later and have it sent! Clearly I have a thing for cameo rings.

Their description of the ring from their website is as follows: This exquisite cameo ring dates from the Victorian era, the latter half of the 19th century, circa 1880. Cupid (or Eros) is depicted as a chubby little cherub, reaching up to catch Psyche who, in butterfly form, flutters above him. The pair are carved from white hardstone agate over a vivid deep apple green background. The panel as bordered by glistening rose cut diamonds and raised up on a wonderfully intricate pseudo-claw openworked gallery. Ornate shoulders and a reeded band complete the elegant aesthetic. Crafted in 18 carat gold throughout. Era: Victorian, circa 1880. The photo I am using today is from their website.

In addition to already being expensive, it was also in Great Britain so there would be a fee for the conversion to pounds, and the tariffs had already gone into place so even more expensive. Not only that but it seemed complicated to figure out which discouraged me. However, I was having a hard time over the holidays this year and I decided to make this gift to myself.

Sadly though it became an almost three month saga of international UPS madness. Pictorama readers know that I purchase many things from Britain. Although they are generally not at this price point I have rarely had a significant issue (one Felix photo postcard was lost in the mail and not refunded as Royal Mail had proof it had made it “here”) with items being delivered. Even during this same time a cat painting showed up unscathed.

So it either caught their attention because it was more expensive or it was just the time for it to happen, but this ring got stuck in Customs and absolutely nothing I did could spring it. The fees had been paid and that didn’t even seem to be the issue. Online tracking just indicated that it was stuck in Customs. Every phone call to International UPS is an automatic wait of 50 minutes or more. It became like a part-time job trying to liberate it. The ring made it all the way to Newark, only to be returned to England, virtually while I argued with them on the phone. Utterly maddening!

Fortunately the couple I was purchasing this from in Britain were utterly lovely. The proprietors of Lost Owl jewelry, they give the impression of leading a somewhat idyllic life in with their small chldren in the British countryside – wandering from one end to the other buying up treasures to share with the likes of me. (Find them in Instagram @lostowl.jewelry or their website here. Engage at your own risk and peril to your bank account.)

While I am sure their life is hectic and fraught like all of ours, nevertheless the illusion is lovely and somewhat enchanting. They do live sales sometimes on Sunday night which are cozy and wonderful looks at jewelry I really cannot afford – a very pleasant hour or so of looking however. If I lived anywhere near them I would just simply spend all my money on jewelry from them and be ruined. The hand wrought gold chains alone are enough to break me! (Although I am determined to have one eventually.)

Meanwhile, they had an agent on their end working on it too as obviously they sell to the US frequently. They remained determined and endlessly encouraging as my heart sank. I began to wonder if I would be able to love the ring despite its arduous history finding its way to our shores.

After the return to England, we doubled down and as it returned I made daily calls to different agents in India who represented UPS. (Some maddeningly insisted that there was no record of any prior calls.) I submitted personal information via email on demand, like an idiot. What can I say – I was losing all reason dealing with a system which is evidently quite broken. Who knew?

At last it arrived safely at my building, handed to me rather nonchalantly by my doorman one evening upon my return home from work in early March. I will say that I really love it and wear it almost daily, fighting for my right hand attention with my hither till now favorite boulder opal. (See a post about that ring here and my love of opals in general here.)

I wonder what it is about the ring that so attracts me, about the symbolism of Cupid and Psyche, as represented by the butterfly. Although Cupid of course represents romance, the combination of the two also seems to represent transformation, also of love and pleasure. I will say it is like having a little story on my hand which I love.

Other than to tell the cautionary tale, I bear no grudges against it at all and the ring only brings me joy. It seems to generate its own light on my hand. In the end it is everything I would hope it would be. When asked about how many rings can I wear I remind folks that I have ten fingers and 365 days a year.