From the early seventeenth to the end of the nineteenth century, testators left money in their wills to have rings with commemorative inscriptions made and distributed to their friends and families. Simple bands enamelled with the name and life dates of the deceased were frequently made, sometimes set with a gemstone or a bezel set with a rock crystal covering a symbol such as a coffin or initials in gold wire. In the later 18th century, rings followed neo-classical designs, their oval bezels often decorated with the same designs as funerary monuments such as urns, broken pillars and mourning figures. Hair from the deceased was incorporated into the designs or set in a compartment at the back of the ring to give each jewel a uniquely personal element. Black or white enamel were favoured though white enamel was often, though not universally used to commemorate children and unmarried adults. By the end of the 19th century, memorial ring designs were becoming more standardised. The hoops were often inscribed with phrases such as 'In memory' whilst a commemorative inscription could be added to the inside of the hoop. The custom of giving rings as memorials gradually declined in the early 20th century, although the Goldsmiths Journal suggests that some were still being sold in the 1930s.

The inscription on this ring reads EDWARD. HARPER. DIED. 20.MAY 1795. AGED 58. Edward's initials, formed from tiny seed pearls, are set over a panel of plaited hair, probably taken from Edward's head and given to the jeweller to form into memorial jewels for his friends and family. The ring lacks any religious imagery and uses English rather than Latin for the inscription. The black enamel around the bezel suggests that Edward Harper had been married whilst the white of the pearls was associated with purity and grief.