Ring (finger) (Mourning ring)

Description

This ring, memorializing Sophie Madeleine du Pont (1775–1828), exemplifies the Rococo revival that influenced jewelry design by the second quarter of the nineteenth century. Fourteen round, faceted jet stones in individual cutback piecrust settings frame the hair compartment. The ornate and exaggerated openwork split shoulders are formed in a scrolling V-shape. The shoulders frame the bezel. The lower section of the band is without ornament. There is a visible joint at the base of the band, which may indicate that the ring was resized at a later date. “S M D P/ Nov. 27 – 1828” is engraved on the underside of the bezel. Sophie Madeleine Dalmas married Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours in Paris on November 26, 1791. This ring is similar to a brooch commemorating Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours (Winterthur 1959.0569).