of the earliest records of jewelry in Virginia is in the will of
Mrs. Elizabeth Draper of London, dated 1625, in which she bequeathed to
her granddaughters, Elizabeth and Mary Peirsey, daughters of the
cape-merchant Abraham Peirsey, each, a diamond ring, Mary's set "after
the Dutch fashion." Arthur Smith I of Isle of Wight County made a
bequest, 1645, of his "seal ring of gold," to his son Thomas. This much
worn ring has passed from generation to generation, and remains today in
possession of a descendent in the county in which the testator died. He
also bequeathed mourning rings to the overseers of his will. Such
bequests, as the latter, were frequently made and were inscribed, or
carried a locket in which hair or some other memento could be placed.
Mrs. Elizabeth Digges' inventory listed among her possessions: eight
gold mourning rings, probably bequeathed to her by deceased relatives, a
diamond ring, a small stone ring, a parcel of sea-pearls and a bodkin,
the latter an ornamental hairpin.

In 1651, Robert Nickolson of London, merchant, dying on a voyage to
Virginia, made en route a will with numerous bequests, among them, a
diamond ring and a gold ring to Mistress Beheathland Bernard, daughter
of Mrs. Mary Bernard and granddaughter of Robert Beheathland, who had
come to Virginia with the first settlers in 1607.

In 1673, Mrs. Amory Butler, nee Elizabeth Underwood
(Taylor-Slaughter-Catlett) left to legatees a collection of jewelry
probably assembled, in part, during her four ventures in matrimony.
These jewels included her wedding ring--to which husband is not
known--two big stone rings, a blue enameled ring, two mourning rings, a
small diamond ring and a large diamond ring, a small pearl necklace and
a necklace with large pearls, a silver bodkin and a gilded bodkin, a
pair of silver buttons, and a pair of silver buckles. The year
following, Mrs. Rose Gerrard, widow, of Westmoreland County, made
several gifts to her eldest daughter, Sarah, wife of William Fitzhugh,
and among them were "one necklace of pearls."

Colonel Thomas Pitt, of Isle of Wight County, had the forethought,
before he died in 1687, to leave to his wife her wedding ring along with
her wearing apparel, and also title to her two diamond rings, an
enameled ring, and a necklace of pearls. These items, otherwise, could
have been accounted in his estate for division among heirs, for the law
gave a woman no title to her possessions during the life of hu