Hope

An 18 carat gold Georgian ring, circa 1820, with a carved agate snow drop within a surround of rose-cut diamonds, set silver . Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are one of the first bulbs to flower and signal the start of spring. The flower is a symbol of hope. According to legend, after Adam and Eve were expelled from  the Garden of Eden, they lived in eternal winter. However, God hadn’t abandoned them completely and sent an angel to watch over them. The angel observed Eve sobbing and longing for warmth and sun. The angel reached down and picked up a snowflake, gently breathed on it and let it fall back to the frozen ground.  Every time she did this the snowflake turned into a small flower as white as the snow upon which it fell until Eve was surrounded by a carpet of small pure white flowers. The angel told Eve, “This is to show you that winter will end, that flowers will bloom again and the sun will shine. This gift I give you is the gift of hope”. The ring is size M [US 6] and the head of the ring measures 1/3 of an inch by 1/3 of an inch. Fine quality and immaculate.

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