Revisiting: 1820 Brotherly Love Ring / Blue and White Enamel

Dedications in memorial and sentimental jewellery usually begin with the love for a husband or wife, then the parents, then children, this isn’t a set rule, but simply based on the amount of jewellery out there with these dedications. Often, however, the parent has dedicated a budget for the mourning jewellery in their wills, so they were set to be made. For the spouse, if there wasn’t a budget, then the loved one was expected to enter the set stages of mourning and display their love for their significant other. Much the same goes for children, so these pieces are to be expected.

Then there is this piece, which shows the love between brothers. There is the connotation of the religious inclination towards fraternal love, which may be understood form this piece, but the method of its construction and dedication speak from a more personal nature.

Here, we have blue enamel, which was often reserved for royalty and also used in the half-mourning stage with a band of white enamel surrounding it.

From this, there is the element of purity and innocence in the white and a grand statement of profound love in the blue.

To find a piece with such colouring is remarkably rare, especially for it to be in such fine condition.

As such, there’s no directly heavy mourning symbolism with this piece, with simply the floral and stud motifs surrounding, so combined with the coloured enamel, the piece is implied, yet not heavy with the burden of mourning or obstructing fashion.

Hallmark: Samuel Godehere of London
Dedication: Let Brotherly Love Continue
Courtesy: Sarah Nehama