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Imagine a world where you can't publicly express your romantic feelings. It's just not done. The rigid societal norms of your world prohibit outward displays of love and affection.
How do you let that special person know that you love them? You use a system of coded images and messages. Rather than wearing your heart on your sleeve, you might wear it on your hand, in the form of a beautiful ring. The ring's colorful gemstones create a secret word, meant just for the wearer.
We now call this acrostic jewelry, where the first letter of each gem spells a word. It's like an acrostic poem, where the first letter of each line makes a hidden message. According to jewelry lore, acrostic jewelry was first created in the early 19th century by Mellerio, jewelers to the French court and a favorite of Marie Antoinette.
Acrostic jewelry soon made its way across the English Channel to Georgian England. It was very popular among the upper classes during the 1820s-30s. That's when our Georgian acrostic ring was made. In the “language of gemstones,” our ring spells out "REGARD" with ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, and diamond.
While the word "regard" might feel lukewarm in the 21st century, it was a romantic term of affection 200 years ago. It's hard for us to imagine just how regimented Georgian society was. When a young man spied a young woman who caught his fancy, he couldn't simply ask her out for coffee. The couple had to follow a complex system of courtship.
If the young man had means, he might present her with a special, secret gift to represent his feelings for her. She could wear the acrostic ring as a beautiful and meaningful reminder of these feelings as they navigated the required courtship rituals.
Acrostic jewelry remained very popular into the Victorian period and it was not just relegated to rings. Secret gemstone messages were also seen on lockets and bracelets. Their messages weren't always romantic, but they always embody a strong feeling that couldn't be openly expressed. Acrostic jewelry still captures our imagination. These special pieces are love encrypted in gemstones.
