DATE: Victorian, c.1860

Delightful Victorian flower "toi et moi" ring, circa 1860. Vivid opal "petals" are arranged around a central emerald, the central petal is, quite charmingly, shared by both flowers. The band is finely detailed, with elegant split shoulders. It recently occurred to me that, as per my high school French knowledge (v. limited, I preferred Latin), "you" should be "tu" and "toi" means "three". Turns out "you" can be either "tu", "te", or "toi", depending on the situation. Turns out in English "you" is used as subject and object personal pronoun, but in French different words are used situationally: "tu" is always object; "te" is always subject; "toi" is either indirect object (when the object is placed after the verb), or, as in the case of "toi et moi", subject in specific constructions when the subject is emphasised. And obviously "three" is "trois". So "toi et moi" = YOU and me.

STONES 

Opal & Emerald

MEASUREMENTS 

Head: 11.6 x 7.1mm

Width of band: 1.6mm

WEIGHT 

1.3g

MARKS 

Stamped 9ct

CONDITION 

Very good