aped unluckily from me
A Large Gold Ring, a Little Key;
The Ring had Death engraved upon it;
The Owners Name inscribed within it;
Who finds and brings the same to me
Shall generously rewarded be."

A favorite motto for these rings was: "Death parts United Hearts."
Another was the legend: "Death conquers all;" another, "Prepare for
Death;" still another, "Prepared be To follow me." Other funeral rings
bore a family crest in black enamel.

Goldsmiths kept these mourning rings constantly on hand. "Deaths Heads
Rings" and "Burying Rings" appear in many newspaper advertisements. When
bought for use the name or initials of the dead person, and the date of
his death, were engraved upon the ring. This was called fashioning. It
is also evident from existing letters and bills that orders were sent by
bereaved ones to friends residing at a distance to purchase and wear
mourning rings in memory of the dead, and send the bills to the heirs or
the principals of the mourning family. Thus, after the death of Andrew,
son of Sir William Pepperell, Mr. Kilby, of London, wrote to the father
that he accepted "that melancholy token of y'r regard to Mrs. K. and
myself at the expense of four guineas in the whole. But, as is not
unusual here on such occasions, Mrs. K. has, at her own expense, added
some sparks of diamonds to some other mournful ornaments to the ring,
which she intends to wear."

It is very evident that old New Englanders looked with much eagerness to
receiving a funeral ring at the death of a friend, and in old diaries,
almanacs, and note-books such entries as this are often seen: "Made a
ring at the funeral," "A death's-head ring made at the funeral of so and
so;" or, as Judge Sewall wrote, "Lost a ring" by not attending the
funeral. The will of Abigail Ropes, in 1775, gives to her grandson "a
gold ring I made at his father's death;" and again, "a gold ring made
when my bro. died."

As with gloves, rings of different values were given to relatives of
different degrees of consanguinity, and to friends of different stations
in life; much tact had to be shown, else much offence might be taken.

I do not know how long the custom of giving mourning rings obtained in
New England. Some are in existence dated 1812, but were given at the
funeral of aged persons who may have left orders to their descendants to
cling to the fashion of their youth.

A very good collection of mourning rings may be seen at t