The Story

This exceptional Victorian-era serpent ring is a quintessential example of late 19th-century symbolism and craftsmanship. Handcrafted in Birmingham, England, circa 1880, the ring features two entwined snakes—a popular motif of the period representing eternal love and wisdom. Each serpent head is meticulously set with a bright old-cut diamond, further accented by smaller diamond "eyes" that add a subtle, lifelike glimmer to the high-carat gold. The fluid, overlapping design of the bypass band creates a substantial yet elegant silhouette on the finger, showcasing the smooth, buttery patina characteristic of fine antique gold.

The Victorian fascination with snake jewelry was famously sparked by Prince Albert, who gifted Queen Victoria a serpent engagement ring. By the 1880s, these designs had evolved into bold, wearable art like this double-headed piece. This ring is a collector's dream, maintaining its historical integrity with a full suite of original Birmingham hallmarks and the "H&E" maker’s mark clearly stamped inside the shank. These marks serve as a definitive "birth certificate," anchoring the piece to one of the world's most prestigious jewelry-making hubs during the height of the British Arts and Crafts movement.

The Details

• 18 karat yellow gold
  
• Old mine cut diamonds, approximately 0.30 total carat weight, SI-I clarity, J-K color
  
• Rose cut diamond eyes, approximately 0.01 total carat weight, SI clarity, J-K color
  
• 6.95 grams
  
• 8.96mm width on top of the finger, tapers down to 5.18mm width under the finger
  
• Ring size 9.5, complimentary ring resize available upon request. Please note rings that have been resized are not eligible for return or exchange as we believe in preserving each piece's integrity. You may send a ring back to us for resizing at a later date if you would like to keep the option of making a return available to you. Please see our FAQs section for more information.
  
• Circa 1880, Birmingham. Original hallmarks inside the ring. "H&E" makers mark stamped inside the ring.
  

Shipping 

Domestic Shipping: Insured shipping within the United States is FREE for purchases made from Ashley Zhang Jewelry. We ship all domestic packages via UPS with an adult signature confirmation.

International Shipping: On international orders, the customer is responsible for all additional duties, taxes and/or tariffs that might incur.

All packages shipped by Ashley Zhang Jewelry are fully insured for their purchased price. When your item is ready to ship, an email will be provided containing your tracking information from Parcel Pro. All shipments must be made to a physical address with an adult present to sign for the package. Ashley Zhang Jewelry is not responsible for items damaged or lost during transportation.

Resizing

Most of our rings can be sized or resized to suit any finger unless specifically stated in the item’s specs. If the resize requested is a large difference or requires extra work to retain the hallmarks or integrity of the style we may reach out with an additional fee quote. The first ring sizing is complimentary on most vintage or AZ collection items. See our full resizing policy for more information. Due to the delicate nature of vintage and antique rings, rarely, damages can occur during the resizing process. Should a damage occur Ashley Zhang Jewelry will complimentary repair or replace stones if needed during this process while maintaining the integrity of the original piece. Because we are altering the ring to your requested size the item is still subject to our return policy.

Returns

We accept returns or exchanges only on vintage and antique items 7 days after delivery.  Items excluded from this policy are rings that have been resized, or any requested modifications. Upon receipt of return, we will issue you a refund minus shipping costs to the original method of payment within 2-5 business days.  If your order is above $5,000, we charge a transaction fee (3%), this is the amount our card processor charges us. If your order was international (outside of the USA) we cannot refund duties or customs fees.

We do not offer free return shipping. No exceptions to our return policy. Only regular priced items may be refunded, unfortunately sale items cannot be refunded.

Email us first to determine that your piece is, in fact, returnable.

Email hello@ashleyzhangjewelry.com please write the subject as Order #---- RETURN.