Victorian old mine diamond snake ring, English, late 19th Century.

This ring is in excellent condition.

The serpentine motif has appeared in jewellery for millennia. It rose to particular prominence during the Victorian era, when Prince Albert presented Queen Victoria with an engagement ring in the form of a snake, its head set with an emerald cabochon. The snake’s symbolism is multifaceted. Its sinuous form, with the head and tail creating an unbroken circle, came to represent devotion and enduring love. This imagery is closely connected to the ancient ouroboros; the serpent depicted consuming its own tail, a powerful symbol of eternity, the perpetual cycle of life. The snake’s natural ability to shed its skin further enriched its meaning, associating the motif with transformation, rebirth and new beginnings.