Victorian Micro Cameo Mourning Ring
For more than 175 years this tiny onyx cameo, carved to depict an urn and a weeping willow, has served to commemorate the life - and death - of a man: Edmund Gouldsmith Esq. who died on the 9th of December, 1850, aged 84. The micro cameo is set within a frame of black enamel 'petals', giving the head the appearance of a black and gold flower, and the enamel work continues down the shoulders and around the sides of the band. It's crafted in rich 18 carat gold with London hallmarks inside the band.
Whilst I can't find any specific information about our Edmund online, his surname - Gouldsmith - is relatively rare, and the Esq. (as well as the fancy mourning ring) tells us that he was A Gentleman. The most famous being two painters: Harriet (1787-1863) and Edmund Thomas who was born in Bristol in 1852. The first might be a stretch, although the dates make her the right generation to be a daughter or niece, but this second Edmund - Edmund Thomas (1852-1932) - was the son of a Thomas Edmund Gouldsmith (1818-1892), described as a landed gentleman. Which is interesting, because the relatively rare surname, the recurring Edmund/Thomas given names, and the gentry status make a family link... more-than plausible? A son and grandson named in his memory?
And what's more, the language of the ring is somewhat odd. There's a contrast between the cameo and the setting: by the 1820s the language of mourning was beginning to shift away from the neoclassical - the urns and willows - to more Christian imagery. The use of the urn and willow in 1850 must have been a deliberately old-fashioned choice, perhaps even an old stock cameo re-used. Was this a tribute to Edmund, a man born in the 1760s under George III who died under Victoria and a Brave New World, employing symbolisms and motifs in an earlier style, a style that he would have been more familiar with?
One final point for consideration: Tennyson published In Memoriam A.H.H. in 1850, the great Victorian poem of grief, and it helped secure his appointment as Poet Laureate that same year. Edmund died in December 1850. The ring sits at a turning point: an 18th century urn of calm, classical acceptance, wrapped in the black enamel of a newer, more intense Victorian feeling about loss. Queen Victoria later wrote that, next to the Bible, In Memoriam was her greatest comfort.
Era: Victorian, 1850
Stone: Onyx Cameo
Ring size: L 1/2 or 6 US. Not resizable.
Head: 12.3mm by 11.8mm
Hallmarks: English, London, 18ct Gold, 1850
Condition: Good antique condition; some enamel loss around the sides of the band and light surface wear - see images.
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Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain)
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[Last updated: September 2026]
Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£55 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
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Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
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Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved and often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff or scrape is quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
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