An exquisite exceedingly rare French Empire miniature Holy Bible ring
circa 1810 made by hand from solid 18K gold, decorated with exquisite
painted enamel work that the French were famous for and set with hand
painted porcelain plaquettes inscribed with verses from the French La
Sainte Bible of 1805 . This piece was likely a wedding gift. Indeed,
many of these verses remain popular readings at weddings today. The
cover itself secures perfectly with a latch clasp made from solid 18K
gold. The cover depicts Moses and the Ten Commandments. Aside from the
hinged opening cover there are two separate pages which can be turned
inside the ring. The inside cover, titled La Femme Vertueuse, is from
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 26:1-4. The next five pages, titled Portrait De
La Femme Forte are from Proverbs 31:10-31. The verses are wise,
practical and quite lovely. Some praise the qualities and great worth of
any woman of virtuous strong and noble character... "for she is worth
far more than rubies" and "she is strong and respected and not afraid of
the future". Other verses serve to remind their husbands just how lucky
they are! ... " the husband of a good woman is a fortunate man, he will
live twice as long" and " whether rich or poor, he will always be happy
and smiling". Or remind husbands to acknowledge their wives... "give
her credit for all she does, she deserves the respect of everyone". A Google search for Sirach 26:1-4 and Proverbs 31:10-31 should provide any number of translations. This is a ring of great beauty and depth. We have never seen another like it. This
piece is in very good condition for its 200 or so years of age. On the
second page beneath the cover there is some loss to the porcelain text
on the front and back at the top which can be seen in the photographs.
There is minor wear to the enamel on the side of the ring and on the
underside of the ring as you would expect for an piece such as this
which has been adored. The miniature gold Bible measures 13/16"
long by 11/16" wide by 3/16" deep (21mm x 17mm x 5mm). These measurement
are for the book and don't include the band. The whole piece weighs
11.3 grams. Currently the ring is a size 6 US. It could be
resized up or down but we would recommend that resizing be done by an
experienced jeweler equipped with a laser welder. The heat from a
conventional jewelers torch can easily damage antique enamel. The laser
confines any heat to just the area of the shank where it is being
resized. I just love this ring, for some reason when I look at it
I imagine a woman who is getting married being given this piece as a
guide to her and to her husband in their married life ahead. This
rarest of pieces comes with a full appraisal. The piece appraised by a
professional Gemologist and accredited Jewelry Appraiser who is a
specialist in the field.
Price: $28,000.00
By appointment only
T: 0407242234
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