Acrostic ring facts for kids
An acrostic ring is a special type of ring from the Victorian era (the 1800s). These rings are unique because the first letters of the precious stones on the ring spell out a secret word, like dearest or regards. It was a very romantic way to send a message!
What is a Dearest Ring?
One of the most popular secret words spelled out on these rings was "dearest." The stones were often arranged in a straight line, or sometimes in a pretty octagon or daisy shape. To spell "dearest," seven different gemstones were used, with each stone's name starting with a letter from the word:
What is a Regards Ring?
Another popular acrostic ring was the regards ring. Just like the "dearest" ring, the first letter of each gemstone's name spelled out the word "regards":
Other Secret Messages
Besides "dearest" and "regards," jewelers also spelled out other sweet messages using gemstones. Some examples include:
- Adore: This word was spelled with amethyst, diamond, opal, ruby, and emerald.
- Love: This could be spelled with lapis lazuli, opal, vermarine, and emerald.
Sometimes, rings would even spell out a person's name. While these rings were seen as romantic gifts and tokens of love, they were usually not given as engagement rings. Instead of real precious stones, sometimes less expensive "paste" gems (which are like fancy glass) were used.
See Also
- Jewellery
- Ring (jewellery)
