Remembering Death Through Mourning Jewelry ... On EBay

Today I received a gift in the mail. I ventured out in the rain at lunch to pick it up from the post office. I opened the small parcel while waiting for my decaf soy latte and veggie wrap at, fittingly, Dead Poets Espresso. My new ring. But this was no ordinary ring.

Two weeks ago I discovered this ring on eBay (of course). As it seems I'm daily looking for memento mori, object d'death art, post mortem collectibles and so forth, I'm usually running across interesting items. Funeral home advertising items are a favorite search as of late. But on this particular day, I came across a listing for a mourning ring. It was absolutely gorgeous. The ring shape reminds me of my mother's late 1960s high school ring, square in shape and kind of art deco in style. But as I know little about art except what I like, I'm not exactly the expert.

While items such as mourning rings are rare, the asking price was still a little out of my league. After all, I was planning all these trips out of town to conduct interviews and buying research materials like crazy. I needed to be frugal! (I can hear my parents laughing now.) So I put the ring on my "Watch Item" list and put it out of my mind. After the auction ended, and I noticed that no one had even bid on the item, I decided I had nothing to lose. I decided on a price I'd be willing to fork over and sent my offer to the seller. He accepted it without pause. One quick PayPal payment later, and the ring was on its way to me from Maryland.

I felt like a kid at Christmas at the coffee house. This was more than a gift to myself or "research" this ring was a wearable gravestone and tribute to the memory of someone who was loved.

Pulling the ring out of its protective packaging, I see a little girl with short full hair. At first she reminds me of my young niece. She has been captured forever, like a moment trapped in amber. The ring is ornately designed silver, and a rectangular photo is the centerpiece. The ring fits my pinky. I wish I knew the little girl's name. Perhaps one day I will create one for her, as it is near impossible to find out what is really is.

I slide the ring on my finger. It fits like a memory ... like a ghost around my finger. A small mystery with not much chance of being solved.