'Lost. A garnet heart in the Royal Exchange-'
Some of you fellow tweeters may think me entirely overcome by love this past week, but I promise 'tis not so. I started collecting Georgian love tokens almost ten years ago, and this piece was one of the first, photographed on the tiny linen bag it was probably presented in. Little hearts (this one is no bigger than a twenty pence piece) were given as tokens of love from around 1730. This one dates from around 1765, when they became smaller and the gold quality stabilized at 14k. The value of the gold is negligible, and the garnets are nicely polished, but worthless even in 1765. Its worth is only the spirit in which it was given.
Jewellery was not only bling during the Georgian period, it carried messages in the stones. Garnet stood for constancy, good health and sex. It is very popular in courting and betrothal jewellery, but less so in anniversary presents. The last picture here is of a regard ring, spelling out the word in the colour of the stones (dearest, and names were also popular). This was a common gift from a husband when a wife bore her first child, much like a modern eternity ring.
The Gentleman's Magazine carries many forlorn advertisements regarding lost jewellery, from grand diamond pendants to little things such as this. There was a sophisticated service emanating from Goldsmiths' Hall dealing with lost and stolen jewellery. Beadles issued forth each week to visit the goldsmiths on their 'beat', enquiring as to items bought and tallying them with the list in their possession, gleaned from reports, news-sheets and magazines. Jewellery was recovered, and rewards split amongst the various parties before the owner regained their property. This was a serious business, and in 1690, David Willaume, Huguenot immigrant goldsmith/banker/gentleman nonpareil placed an advertisement in The London Gazette on the 9th of March which read:
Lost, on the 4th instant, a ring with 7 diamond stones, the middle one is of a large bigness, having 3 little ones on each side, all inlaid with silver. The ring is of gold, fit for a little Finger, of the value of about 50 Lewis d'Ors (proving the French immigrants were still reckoning in their own currency, four years after arrival). Whoever brings it to Mr Willaume, a goldsmith at the sign of the Windsor Castle near Charing Cross, shall have a good reward.
To put this into perspective, 50 gold Louis is about 7,000 pounds now, for a pinky ring. With no real police force, a certain amount of bartering and indeed, amnesty was necessary in Georgian London. But that is an entirely different post.
