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.

This ring appears to have been altered to commemorate two people. The hoop of the ring is inscribed with a motto recording Elizabeth Carter, who died on 31 January 1797, formed with gold letters against a black enamel background. The part of the hoop which would have given Elizabeth's age at her death has been cut out to add an oval bezel set with a miniature of a woman standing by an urn, surmounted by a weeping willow. The initials CEH on the urn must be those of the person who is being memorialised in the miniature, perhaps a friend or relative of Elizabeth Carter. The hallmarks on the inside of the gold hoop are for 1791-2, suggesting that the goldsmith had a plain gold ring in stock which was then modified to add the inscription.