EUROPEAN BETROTHAL RING, 16TH-17TH CENTURY, SIZE 6 3/4

During the Renaissance, the act of committing to marriage took place as a formal ceremony with vows, considered sacred and unbreakable, exchanged. A ring was given by the man to the woman to bind the pledge and worn until the marriage. That practice is believed to derive from the custom of providing a bride’s price or dowry. This example is a little over size 6 3/4 with an oval bezel with a beaded surround, flanked by an arrangement of 3 small bosses in foliage, on each side. Well detailed, it has been professionally refurbished with the 24karat gold surface restored and is gift boxed with a certificate of authenticity.