Victorian Socrates Cameo Ring
Striking hardstone cameo ring dating from the mid-Victorian era, circa 1860. The bumpy-headed man is the founder of Western philosophy: Socrates. And the signet ring is crafted in 15 carat gold with elegant carved shoulders.
Socrates was, by all accounts, quite the character; roaming around Athens firing off provocative questions at unsuspecting citizens. His educational techniques focused on discovering answers by asking questions. His most famous student, Plato, describes "the disciplined practice of thoughtful questioning [that] enables the scholar/student to examine ideas and be able to determine the validity of those ideas."
His death made Socrates a martyr... a sort of secular saint. He died as he lived in Athens: adored by his students and loathed by most Athenians. Ultimately, he was sentenced to death by a jury of 500 freemen (a 280-220 margin) for "corrupting the Athenian youth" with his radical ideas and "not believing in the gods the state believes in, but in other new spiritual beings." He spent his last day in prison, refusing offers to help him escape. Plato documented his final hours, although wasn't himself present to witness them. When offered the cup of deadly hemlock, Socrates, "took it quite cheerfully without a tremor, with no change of colour or expression," before uttering the now-famous words, "we can and must pray to the gods that our sojourn on earth will continue happy beyond the grave. This is my prayer, and may it come to pass.” The hemlock acted fast, a numbness starting at the feet gradually rose up his body... by the time it reached his waist, Socrates spoke his final words: "Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Do pay it. Don’t forget."
Socrates did not document his teachings. Everything we know about him and his philosophical ideas comes from the accounts of others, presented as a series of conversations between Socrates and others. The four main sources are: Plato and the historian Xenophon, who were both his pupils; the comic-dramatist Aristophanes; and Plato's pupil Aristotle, who coined the term Socratic dialogues (logos sokratikos) to describe this newly formed literary genre.
Era: Victorian, circa 1860
Head size: 11mm by 14.3mm
Ring size: S 1/2 or 9.25 US. Resizable for £35
Stone: Onyx
Marks: None present, tested as 15ct gold
Condition: Great antique condition
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Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain)
Shipping
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Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
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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
A 25% deposit will be taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved, often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff/scrape are 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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An inscription can be added inside the band, where space allows. Add 2-3 weeks to shipping times
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