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Vintage Sterling Silver “Elephants in Love” Ring
Size 6 1/2
Intro/Background
Neither my wife nor I have any affinity for elephants, although they are beautiful creatures. But it was the design of this ring — the sweetness of the pose — that drew us to this piece. It’s how we’ve always pictured ourselves: entwined together for life, pressed against each other, taking comfort in the knowledge that we are so close we almost move in unison. One is never more than a sideways glance away from the other.
That’s what this ring represented to us. We bought it in Hawaii (Maui) on one of our many trips, at a small jewelry boutique — the kind that were so popular back in the 1990s. We haven’t been back for many years, and I suspect the little shop is long gone, but the ring has remained both a reminder of our halcyon days there and the unwavering closeness that we share.
It fit my wife’s ring finger when we bought it, and then, with the passing of time, her little finger. Now, with the enlarging of knuckles that comes with hands that have lived a life, it no longer even fits her little finger. Not too small — size 6 1/2 — but no longer the size of any of her fingers.
And so we let it go. Somewhere out there are two lovebirds who feel the same. We wish it on to the next couple who are so close — cheek to cheek as these twin elephants are — that they are almost one person.
My wife used to say, “I’m wearing us today…” and would hold up her finger with a smile. Beautiful memory.
The Ring Itself:
As I mentioned, the design of this ring is what makes it so special. The two heads pressed together — both with what appear to be a smile — and the trunks entwined, are a beautiful visual testament to the power and joy of love. I have just recently examined the ring very closely, marveling at the attention to detail.
As the owner of an abundance of jewelry (and if you follow this site you’ll understand this to be true), I can tell you that not all silver jewelry matches this exquisite piece. There is no blurring of lines, no vagaries of detail. It is PERFECTLY detailed. There is no “suggestion” of an eye (as often happens in silver designs), but the actual elephant’s squinty and heavy-lidded eye, complete with wrinkles below. Delicate wrinkles also appear on the trunks and the wonderfully heavy-flapped ears. The accented indentation on the brow slopes down to the “doughy” trunks. So lifelike!
When I was searching online to see if I could find any ring similar to this one (I couldn’t), I noted that none of those I saw matched the quality of this one. Someone clearly spent time in the moulding of this piece.
Sadly, I do not know who that “someone” is. It is signed only with a circled “C” (“Copyright”) followed by an “S” with a line through it. Try as I might, I could not discover the name of the artist (what a shame!). Probably a local Maui artist, of which there were so many back in the day. Regardless, whoever who took such care with this piece will remain unknown. I am repeatedly frustrated by this as I research some of my pieces. But at least it does bear a signature; so often, handmade jewelry does not. How could you not want to sign your name to something so beautiful?
But I digress…
The ring is clearly stamped “Sterling” on the inner band. In fact, as I mentioned, EVERYTHING done on this ring is done with great clarity. The ring has a nice weight to it, due largely, I believe, to the quality of the silver, the intricacies of the design, and the fact that half of the heads themselves are solid silver.
So I offer goodbye to this piece. My wife held it for a moment in her fist before she dropped it into my hand for resale, and watched my reaction as I saw what it was. She knew the bittersweetness of the moment… I kissed her on the head.
As I carried the ring to the light to study it more closely, I felt the warmth of it from her hand.
“Perfect,” I thought. Such a warm piece in both design and sentiment, it was even warm to the touch.
I hope it brings its warmth to another loving couple.
Measurements/Size:
Size: 6 1/2
Weight: 10.8 grams
Top of Elephant’s Head to Bottom of Trunk: 3/4 inch (almost 2 centimeters)
Width of band 3/16 inch (4.7 millimeters)
