Ring
ca. 1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl. Pure beryl is colourless but minute traces of chromium cause the rich green of emeralds. Flawless emeralds are extremely rare. Many are fractured and most contain mineral inclusions which help us distinguish natural gems from synthetic ones.
This ring forms part of a collection of 154 gems bequeathed to the V&A by the Reverend Chauncy Hare Townshend, a cleric and poet. Sir A. H. Church gave additional specimens in 1913. He also compiled the first catalogue Precious Stones: A Guide to the Townshend Collection. The first edition appeared in 1883. The stones are mounted as rings, although they may not have been intended to be worn.
This ring forms part of a collection of 154 gems bequeathed to the V&A by the Reverend Chauncy Hare Townshend, a cleric and poet. Sir A. H. Church gave additional specimens in 1913. He also compiled the first catalogue Precious Stones: A Guide to the Townshend Collection. The first edition appeared in 1883. The stones are mounted as rings, although they may not have been intended to be worn.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Square emerald, with a border of brilliant-cut diamonds, set in gold |
| Brief description | Ring set with a square emerald in a border of brilliant-cut diamonds, made in Western Europe, the setting dating from around 1850 |
| Physical description | Ring with a square emerald in a border of 24 brilliant-cut diamonds, with a gold setting. On each shoulder of the ring are four brilliant-cut diamonds and two rose-cut diamonds. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by the Rev. Chauncy Hare Townshend |
| Object history | This ring was bequeathed to the museum in 1869 by the collector, cleric and poet, Reverend Chauncy Hare Townshend as part of a group of 154 gems. A catalogue to the collection was written by Sir A H Church, who also donated part of his own collection in 1913. |
| Summary | Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl. Pure beryl is colourless but minute traces of chromium cause the rich green of emeralds. Flawless emeralds are extremely rare. Many are fractured and most contain mineral inclusions which help us distinguish natural gems from synthetic ones. This ring forms part of a collection of 154 gems bequeathed to the V&A by the Reverend Chauncy Hare Townshend, a cleric and poet. Sir A. H. Church gave additional specimens in 1913. He also compiled the first catalogue Precious Stones: A Guide to the Townshend Collection. The first edition appeared in 1883. The stones are mounted as rings, although they may not have been intended to be worn. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1284-1869 |
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| Record created | December 8, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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