Photography was an invention of the Victorian era and because of this, photographic jewelry was a popular way of remembering and acknowledging beloved friends and family members. Typically worn as brooches, pendants and fobs, and rarely as rings, the portraits were often mounted in silver or gold under crystal or celluloid covers.

A very rare photographic ring from the Victorian (ca1880) era, this piece depicts a portrait of a beautiful African American woman. The picture has been hand tinted which is a process by which paints were used to hand color a black and white photo. The photograph has a celluloid cover for protection and is set in a beautiful, yet simple sterling silver setting, which is marked "STERLING" on the inside. It is extremely rare to see photographic jewelry as a ring and even more unusual to depict a photograph of an African American woman. It's a wonderful piece for any collector!  

Condition: The overall condition of the ring is excellent. The silver has a beautiful natural patine on the surface and there is no significant damage to the metal. There are a few, very minor surface scratches on the celluloid cover, which is not uncommon for a ring of this age.