Victorian Gold Hidden Key Ring
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A fascinating and rare example of Victorian ingenuity, this English gold ring conceals a secret: beneath the head lies a miniature Bramah key, designed to open a private jewellery or valuables box. Crafted around 1870 in 15K gold, it exemplifies the 19th-century taste for combining mechanical cleverness with personal adornment.The ring’s smooth signet-style head hinges upward to reveal a precisely fitted cylindrical key - an early form of the “high-security” Bramah design patented by Joseph Bramah in 1784. His revolutionary lock, requiring a multi-shafted key, became a byword for security and refinement. During the Victorian period, miniature versions of the mechanism were fitted to personal boxes, safes, and sometimes, as in this extraordinary case, worn on the hand itself.The design was not merely whimsical. By turning the key into jewellery, its owner ensured that it remained literally “in hand,” never misplaced and always at the ready. Once placed on the finger, the head closes flush, disguising the mechanism completely.Engraved with faint traces of scrolling ornamentation - now softened by age - the ring retains its subtle charm and mechanical precision. The small key, measuring 12mm in length, would once have turned the lock of its owner’s box of treasures.English, c.1870.Material: Tests as 15K gold.Weight: 7.51g.Ring size: UK O / US 7.Condition: Very good; some wear to the engraved decoration and possible loss of the outermost tooth of the key, explaining its somewhat easy release. The mechanism functions smoothly. To secure the key in position, place the ring on the finger with the key unlocked, Once the ring is placed on the finger, you can close the key and it will stay in place.A remarkable fusion of craftsmanship, invention, and intimacy.
A fascinating and rare example of Victorian ingenuity, this English gold ring conceals a secret: beneath the head lies a miniature Bramah key, designed to open a private jewellery or valuables box. Crafted around 1870 in 15K gold, it exemplifies the 19th-century taste for combining mechanical cleverness with personal adornment.
The ring’s smooth signet-style head hinges upward to reveal a precisely fitted cylindrical key - an early form of the “high-security” Bramah design patented by Joseph Bramah in 1784. His revolutionary lock, requiring a multi-shafted key, became a byword for security and refinement. During the Victorian period, miniature versions of the mechanism were fitted to personal boxes, safes, and sometimes, as in this extraordinary case, worn on the hand itself.
The design was not merely whimsical. By turning the key into jewellery, its owner ensured that it remained literally “in hand,” never misplaced and always at the ready. Once placed on the finger, the head closes flush, disguising the mechanism completely.
Engraved with faint traces of scrolling ornamentation - now softened by age - the ring retains its subtle charm and mechanical precision. The small key, measuring 12mm in length, would once have turned the lock of its owner’s box of treasures.
English, c.1870.
Material: Tests as 15K gold.
Weight: 7.51g.
Ring size: UK O / US 7.
Condition: Very good; some wear to the engraved decoration and possible loss of the outermost tooth of the key, explaining its somewhat easy release. The mechanism functions smoothly. To secure the key in position, place the ring on the finger with the key unlocked, Once the ring is placed on the finger, you can close the key and it will stay in place.
A remarkable fusion of craftsmanship, invention, and intimacy.
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