We carry many unique and interesting items in the National Estate Jewelers showroom, as well as on our eBay store. So many, in fact, we often discover new things every day in our own store that we hadn’t noticed before! Little treasures get overlooked, hidden behind gleaming diamond bangles and clustered gemstone necklaces.
To help bring these little gems to light, we decided to try something new and ask you which treasure you’d like to learn more about from our humble corner of the world. Nearly half of the votes came for one little ring, that, at first glance, looks like something you might get out of a gumball machine. At least, that’s what several of our staff members thought when we looked at this wee ring in our sterling silver showcase, a ring that was nearly lost among all the other bolder, more colorful pieces.
Yet, somehow, it still managed to stand out from an iolite pendant, a bear claw belt buckle, and a fantastical multi-stone pendant.
Let’s just call it the little scrimshaw ring that could.
Although the ring looks like it could be ancient, it was likely made in the last 70 years. The scrimshaw carving and silversmith work appears to be Mexican-made, although we cannot confirm this because we were unable to identify the hallmark, which is a little mushroom with the number 2 underneath it. What appears to be the initials “CTa” [sic] is also stamped into the back of the setting, along with the numbers “925” affirming that this is indeed sterling silver.
In addition, we are unable to confirm what type of material the etching of the boat and lighthouse is carved into, but it is likely some type of organic material, possibly bone. The ring has a very old look and feel to it, making this an ideal piece for those interested in old scrimshaw jewelry and carvings. If you are unfamiliar with what exactly “scrimshaw” is, it is the term for carvings and engravings made into bone or ivory, and first became an art form during the mid-eighteenth century when whaling and poaching was highly prevalent[1]. Whalers made the carvings into the bones and teeth of whales they caught as a form of folk art, although now the craft is only something artisans do as a hobby, as whaling and ivory-harvesting is now banned.
It would be nice to know the origin of this piece, and whose hand carved it. Was it the same person who made the ring, or was the ring fashioned from found art? If anyone can identify the marks, please let us know in the comments!
Thanks for stopping by! This ring is available for sale in our East Brunswick, NJ showroom. Call (888) 565-1120 for pricing inquiries.