"Not Lost But Gone Before" Seal Fob

"Not Lost But Gone Before" Seal FobGeorgian Regency Period miniature fob with a black glass 'Tassie' intaglio seal set in the base. The wax imprint created by the seal depicts Cupid, the Roman god of love and desire, standing beside a tombstone holding his burning torch of passion facing down (symbolic of death) alongside the words NOT LOST BUT GONE BEFORE. The Georgians, and of course the Victorians after, built a whole culture around mourning mottos and symbols, as well as strict

And the signet ring is crafted in 15 carat gold with elegant carved shoulders

The shoulders immediately reminded me of the famous warped grid depiction of mass distorting space-time

Marks: Italian hallmarks for 9ct gold

and when they smash together remarkable things happen

Stones: Amethyst

take their name from part of a loom - the shuttle (navette in French) - which is a piece of wood shaped like a boat

allowing it to fit snugly around the finger

Hermes offered to swap it for the animals (all 111 of them) and Apollo agreed

using simple geometric angles and lines to stunning effect

Stones: Two Transitional Cut Diamonds

The latter half of the 19th century saw

The centre stone displays a hint of lemon-yellow