1912 English Gold & Diamond Double Snake Ring

Dated 1912 and hallmarked in Chester, England, this 18KT gold ring features two intertwined snakes, each accented with a bead-set old European-cut diamond. Their sculpted bodies curve around one another across the finger, creating a continuous design.

Serpent jewelry held particular significance during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The snake's circular, seemingly unending form has long been associated with eternity and renewal, while entwined snakes could evoke union and enduring attachment.

Prince Albert presented Queen Victoria with a snake engagement ring in 1839, reportedly set with her birthstone, an emerald. Victoria's affection for symbolic jewelry helped make the serpent an especially fashionable motif, and snake rings continued to appear long after the Victorian era itself had ended.

Dated more than seventy years after Victoria's engagement, this 1912 ring shows the motif's remarkable longevity. The two intertwined bodies transform a centuries-old symbol into a wonderfully wearable jewel.