1860 French Gimmel Ring, Gimmal Engagement Band, Antique Joint Ring, Puzzle Ring

Dated October 2, 1860, this lovely antique ring has been guarded preciously for well over one hundred years. Known as a gimmel or gimmal ring, which comes from the Latin for twin, gemmelus, the ring was constructed to be worn by separately by fiancees during the engagement period and then joined together to form one band for the wedding. The structure of the ring underpins the symbolism of equality and two souls joining together as one whole.

I was able to find some great genealogy of the family. The ring belonged to a Marie de DROUAS who married Eduard de VILLE in the town of Tonnerre, in north-eastern France. Tonnerre is a mid-sized city that had a population of about 4,000 people in the mid-1800s, centered in the wine region of Burgundy. The family must have been well off, as they had one son, a Charles DE VILLE, who went on to marry a Countess from the family of Maugny in the Haute-Savoie. They had two sons, the youngest of whom died in Blois in 1975 with no descendants. I was unable to find information for the older son, but it's quite likely he never married or had children. I love being able to find gimmel rings because each ring tells the story of an average French family over several generations.

CONDITION NOTES:
The ring is in excellent condition for age and binds very well together. I had some difficulty getting the two pieces apart but if you slide a fingernail where they join the ring pops open. The ring is still easy to read on the interior and the exterior has light micro-scratches consistent with age, as well as light enamel loss visible in photos.

Material: 18k gold (owl hallmark)
Weight: 3.32 g
Period: Napoleon III dated 2 Octobre, 1860
Size: 55 FR or 7 US

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Please check all photos, descriptions, and measurements thoroughly. Contact me if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer.