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Have you ever seen a ring that's 156 years old? Well, let's take a look at one. Over the past 4,000 years, no item of jewellery has been used as continuously as the ring. A universal object and shrouded in meaning and sentiment, the ring remains largely unchanged from ancient Egypt and Rome, through the Renaissance and Victorian eras, all the way to the modern day. This ring in particular is an incredibly rare and unique piece of history that dates back to the Victorian period. Specifically, the ring dates to the year 1865, meaning it was part of the Grand Period of Victorian jewellery, a time where jewellery established a person's identity and status within society. Crafted in rich, buttery, and now discontinued 15 carat gold, with incredible ornate shoulders and intricate details, this Victorian ring houses four small pieces of coral, alongside five small seed pearls. Coral may seem quite a surprising material for jewellery, but this was widely used in the Victorian period, alongside pearls, diamonds and other precious gemstones. In 1865, this ring would have been made entirely by hand by master craftsmen, which is incredible to think given the sheer amount of detail encompassed in this ring. Now, you may ask, Rosie, how is it possible to date such an old ring? Well, that ability is all thanks to hallmarking laws which were established in England hundreds of years ago. Hallmarking is the practice of stamping details inside of the ring, such as what carat gold the ring is made of, the location of where it was stamped, more commonly known as an assay mark, and a small date letter in a specific font. On our Victorian ring, the first few marks are remnants of the original maker's or jeweller's mark. 1565 refers to the ring being made of 15 carat gold. 15 carat gold was discontinued as a gold standard in 1932. The anchor symbol represents the assay office of Birmingham, meaning this ring was stamped in Birmingham, England, and the little sideways Q on the end, in that particular font, is our date letter for 1865. If you enjoyed this video, be sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to see more ancient rings. Comment below what age ring I should show next.