Long-separated jewels back together for new exhibition

A PAIR of mourning rings believed to have been separated by marriage and inheritance have been reunited for the first time since 1785.

The chance reunion came when Joel Arthur Rosenthal, founder of the jewellery firm JAR which has been hailed as the modern answer to Faberge, came across an eye-catching piece on a visit to the Welbeck estate in Sherwood Forest.

New York-born Rosenthal was there to select items for a new exhibition from The Portland Collection, an array of paintings, artworks and artefacts put together by the Dukes of Portland, when his eye was caught by a dazzling antique ring he spotted in a cabinet.

Made from gold and enamel with a large sapphire, it appeared similar in style to an emerald ring the jeweller kept in his own personal collection and on closer inspection and with research by curators at The Harley Gallery they were found to be a pair.

Research revealed that the rings were made for Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, in 1725 to commemorate the death of his baby son Henry and each ring has a small chamber containing a lock of Henry’s hair.

They were, however,

Research revealed that the rings were made for Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, in 1725.

separated over three successive generations, between 1691 and 1741, as there were no male heirs and the family estates passed by marriage through the female line.

The sapphire ring has been prominent in The Portland Collection since 1725, and can be seen in a 1727 miniature painting of Edward Harley and his daughter by CF Zincke.

The emerald ring is mentioned in a scribbled note about a similar ring appearing at auction in 1911.

Now, the pair form part of Rosenthal’s exhibition at The Harley Gallery in Welbeck which runs until December 31 and includes works from The Portland Collection and jewellery by Rosenthal, including a newly made piece.