Antique Victorian Gilt Silver & Enamel Memento Mori Skull Poison Locket Ring

A rare and evocative Victorian-era Memento Mori ring, crafted in gilt silver with black enamel details and an exquisitely carved skull motif. This unusual piece features a concealed interior compartment, originally intended to hold a poison pill, perfume pellet, lock of hair, or other private keepsake—a classic example of 19th-century mourning and symbolism jewelry.

Features

• Period: Victorian (c. 19th century)
• Material: Gilt silver with black enamel
• Design: Skull-and-serpent Memento Mori motif
• Function: Hinged locket top with a hidden internal chamber
• Purpose: Poison pill, hair locket, keepsake, or mourning token
• Ring Size: Approx. US 5.75
• Decoration: Hand-engraved band with cross-hatched patterning
• Condition:
  • Structurally sound
  • Working hinge
  • Expected age-related wear to the gilding and enamel
  • Retains strong character and patina
  • The ring comes with an APPRAISAL CERTIFICATE FOR $300

This extraordinary ladies’ locket ring embodies the Victorian fascination with mortality, remembrance, and the passage of time. The skull motif—flanked by serpent-like forms—was a powerful symbol reminding the wearer: “Memento Mori” (“Remember you must die”).

When opened, the ring reveals a small internal chamber, discreetly hidden beneath the skull, making it a rare surviving example of a Memento Mori poison ring. The interior still shows period tool marks and untouched patination consistent with 19th-century construction.

These rings were often worn by women of status, used as mourning objects, sentimental tokens, or symbolic reminders of life’s impermanence. Authentic antique poison rings of this type are highly sought after and increasingly scarce.

Provenance

From a private antique jewelry collection.

Shipping

• Worldwide shipping
• Secure packaging
• Tracked and insured delivery

Notes

Please study all photos as they form part of the description. This is an authentic antique piece with genuine age-related patina.