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Free domestic shipping | Complimentary ring Re-sizing | Flexible Layaway Available
Free domestic shipping | Complimentary ring Re-sizing | Flexible Layaway Available
In the golden age of 18th-century sentimental jewelry, devotion was expressed not in loud declarations, but in a refined, poetic visual language. Among the most evocative and romantic masterpieces of this era are those featuring paired birds—an exquisite symbol of enduring fidelity that spoke straight to the heart without needing a single spoken word. This breathtaking gold ring, dating to the 1780s, is a beautifully preserved testament to that intimate romance: two finely modeled doves inclining toward one another, beaks meeting, set against a vibrant green enameled branch and framed by delicate forget-me-nots in blue.
Like the Renaissance cherub pendant offered separately from this collection, the ring descends from the Askonas-Fürth family of Vienna, whose jewelry was carried out of Austria during the family's flight from the Anschluss in 1938. (See our companion post for the full provenance history.) It was acquired at Hindman in March 2025.
At the heart of this masterpiece are the billing doves—an exquisite centerpiece of romance and lifelong fidelity. Rooted in classical antiquity and elevated during the Enlightenment, this intentional gesture of beaks meeting served as an eloquent, unspoken declaration of devotion, recognized instantly by the upper echelons of Georgian society.
Framing this central romance are delicate forget-me-nots, beautifully rendered in soft blue enamel with brilliant diamonds catching the light at their centers. Associated with constancy since the medieval era, these blossoms elevate the ring’s message, transforming it from a declaration of present-day passion into a poetic promise of eternal remembrance.
Every element of the ring works in perfect harmony. The doves rest upon a vibrant green enameled branch that flows seamlessly into the hand-engraved foliate shank and enameled shoulders. Rather than a simple ornament, the piece was designed as a continuous, wearable symphony of nature and love.
Perhaps the most enchanting detail is one hidden from casual view: the reverse of the doves is fully finished in exquisite enamel. This secret luxury, meant only for the wearer, is the hallmark of a premier 18th-century master workshop. The artisans did not merely create a token to be viewed from one angle; they sculpted a rare, three-dimensional treasure designed to be admired from every perspective.
The dating of the ring is supported by stylistic analysis and by laboratory work conducted in our gemological studio in collaboration with Bucknell University. Raman spectrometry and SEM-EDS analysis of the enamels yielded compositions consistent with late 18th-century European production:
Together these findings establish a material profile consistent with 18th-century enamel practice and distinguish the ring from the 19th-century Renaissance Revival production with which sentimental jewelry of this type is sometimes confused.
Photo Credit: British Museum
The exceptional caliber of this ring is underscored by its illustrious peers. A closely related example is preserved in the permanent collection of the British Museum (part of the celebrated Hull Grundy Gift). While that sister piece features a small ruby rather than the diamonds seen here, it utilizes the exact same romantic vocabulary of white enameled billing doves and vibrant green foliage—proving that our ring belongs to a highly refined, elite design tradition of the 1780s.
Because sentimental jewelry of this era was an intimate luxury, these pieces were never created in large numbers. Fewer still have survived the intervening centuries. Enamel is notoriously fragile, and over generations, many of these delicate tokens were tragically lost, dismantled for their stones, or melted down.
To find an example intact today is a minor miracle—and the market recognizes it. A French enamel and gemstone billing-dove ring of related type sold for around £20,000 at Woolley and Wallis in February 2023, indicating both the scarcity of such survivals and the level of collector interest they attract.
Jewels of this type were never produced in great numbers, and their survival rate is low. Enamel is fragile, settings are often delicate, and sentimental jewelry has historically been more vulnerable than other categories to dismantling, re-setting, or simple loss across generations.
This ring survives in very good antique condition. Over its two-and-a-half-century history, the jewel has experienced minor, localized enamel wear—visible upon close inspection on the heads of the doves, the green branch, and the delicate forget-me-not blossoms. Far from a detraction, these subtle signs of age are entirely consistent with its long journey since the 1780s, lending an irreplaceable sense of history and authentic character to this rare survival.
Shop the Ring HERE
What is Raman spectrometry? A non-destructive analytical method that identifies materials by the way they scatter laser light. In jewelry authentication, it is used to determine the composition of enamels, glasses, and gemstones.
What is SEM-EDS? Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. It produces high-magnification imaging together with elemental analysis of small areas, allowing for precise compositional study of materials such as enamels.
Why does the absence of chromium matter for dating? Chromium-based pigments came into widespread use in the early 19th century. Their absence in an enamel sample is consistent with pre-19th-century manufacture and helps rule out later production.
Can the ring be worn? Yes. The structure is sound, and the enamel is stable. Like all antique enamel jewelry, it should be worn with reasonable care—avoiding impact, chemical exposure, and significant temperature change.
Sentimental jewelry of this period was made to communicate something specific between two people. The motifs were chosen, the materials were chosen, and the labor that went into details a casual viewer would never see was chosen. What survives, when one of these pieces does survive, is not just the object but the deliberateness behind it.
Trademark Antiques has specialized in antique and vintage jewelry since 2008. Our authentication process combines traditional connoisseurship with advanced material analysis, including XRF, Raman spectrometry, and SEM-EDS.
