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A lady with a love for literature and shiny things discusses books & bling.

What I’m reading: Vol. 117.

What I'm reading. Book photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash

 

Hello my darlings,  

Well, I just had my second pandemic birthday! Not something I was expecting to ever be able to say. But we’ve had some incredible weather here in the past week and I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to get outside and feel the sun on my skin more lately! 

I hope that March is treating you all well so far. Here’s what I’m reading!

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading:

King Of Scars Leigh Bardugo: Indiebound/Amazon

I was a little nervous to read this book because it is an expansion on a series that I absolutely love (see my review here) and I was scared the new material wouldn’t live up to the original. My worry was unfounded, though, because this book is fantastic! Creative and enthralling and different enough from the original series to feel like a whole new thing. King of Scars takes place after the original Grisha books and follows different characters. 

Also, there’s about to be a Grisha TV show on Netflix!! You should read all of the Grisha books before the show comes out and the plot becomes common knowledge. 

Love Scenes by Bridget Morrisey: Amazon

I’m having a great time reading this book! It follows the story of Sloane Ford, out-of-work actress who is struggling to balance her own career with the pressure of her famous Hollywood family. When Sloane encounters a man from her past who she hoped never to see again, she needs to make some decision about what she wants her life to be like. It is light and fun, with lots of focus on family and the challenge of establishing your own identity. 

Internets:

Celtic Knots: Discover the Meaning Behind These Intricate Designs.

Murderous Elves, Silent Moths, and Modern Phrenology: Well-researched stories from Atlas Obscura, Physics World, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.

Amateur Treasure Hunter Unearths Missing Centerpiece of Henry VIII’s Crown.

‘AnonyMouse’ Street Artists Install Miniature Shops and Restaurants for Mice on City Streets. These are even cuter and more delightful than they sound!

Not Everyone has a “Miniatures Room”, but this Guy Does! This is well worth a look, trust me. 

Discovery of a 9,000 Year-Old Burial of a Female Hunter Challenges Prehistoric Gender Roles.

He Invented the Rubik’s Cube. He’s Still Learning From It. I hate Rubik’s cubes but I’m also fascinated by them.

This Artist Creates the Most Amazing Paper Cranes with Feathery Details. Beautiful and amazing!  

Pioneering Black American Jewelry Designers In History.

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links. 

Victorian acrostic ring giveaway!

Who’s ready for a fantastic giveaway!??! I am super excited to be able to offer you the chance to win this incredible Victorian acrostic ring.

Victorian acrostic ring from Laurelle Antique Jewellery. The gems spell REGARD.

Victorian acrostic ring giveaway!

This exquisite original antique piece comes to us from the wonderful Laurelle Antique Jewellery. This Victorian era acrostic ring uses the secret code of gems to spell the word “regard,” a term of endearment popular in that time period (learn more about acrostic jewels here).

This gorgeous ring is 15 karat gold adorned with engraved chasing down the sides and a halo of creamy pearls around the central gemstones, which contain the secret message (R)uby (E)merald (G)arnet (A)methyst (R)uby (D)iamond.

This beauty is valued by Laurelle Antique Jewellery at £1,000 and is an iconic example of the classic Victorian acrostic ring and would be a worthy addition to any jewelry collection, whether it’s your first antique piece or a bucket list item you’ve been searching for!

For the chance to win this ring, just follow the directions in the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will also have the chance to have the ring sized by Laurelle Antique Jewellery’s jewelers before the prize is shipped out, if sizing turns out to be necessary.

So to recap, all you need to do to win this incredible acrostic ring is enter your name and email address in the widget above to sign up for Laurelle Antique Jewellery’s mailing list!

If you’d like to increase your chance of winning, you can also do the optional actions in the widget above: comment on this post, follow me on Instagram or tweet about the giveaway, but those are not mandatory for entry.

If you have any questions or run into any trouble, leave a comment below or shoot me an email.

We’ll choose a winner on March 30th, so don’t forget to enter before then!

Win this Victorian era acrostic ring from Laurelle Antique Jewellery.

If you like this ring (who wouldn’t?) be sure to check out what else is on offer at the lovely Laurelle Antique Jewellery. Here is their website and their their Instagram.

Learn more about acrostic jewelry here.

Photo by Laurelle Antique Jewellery.

Jewelry giveaway! Win this Victorian acrostic ring from Laurelle Antique Jewellery. The gems spell REGARD.
Jewelry giveaway! Win this Victorian acrostic ring from Laurelle Antique Jewellery. The gems spell REGARD.

What is acrostic jewelry?

We’re going to talk about one of my favorite obscure subgenres of jewelry today: acrostic jewelry! Popular in the Georgian and Victorian eras, acrostic jewelry is jewelry that holds a secret message coded in gems (!!).

What is acrostic jewelry?

In acrostic jewelry, the first letter of each gemstone in a piece spells out a word. You most commonly see acrostic jewelry spelling out classic terms of endearment, like “adore,” “regard,” “dear,” or “dearest.”

Early Victorian acrostic ring in pansy form, circa 1830. The gems spell out REGARD, a message of love. From Nalfie's.

So an acrostic ring spelling out “dear” might feature a (D)iamond, (E)merald, (A)methyst, and (R)uby to spell out D-E-A-R. The ring above uses the same method to spell REGARD.

This particular acrostic ring is early Victorian and takes the form of a pansy for extra romance (pansy means “think of me”). This piece is circa 1830 and is from Nalfie’s.

This Georgian era acrostic jewel features lovely gold cannetille work and gemstones that spell 'LOVE.' From Argentum Antiques & Collectables on 1st Dibs.

The utterly romantic trend of acrostic jewels began in the Georgian era and flourished throughout the Victorian period. It is believed that acrostic jewelry was first created by Jean-Baptiste Mellerio of the House of Mellerio, who started designing jewels with gems that spelled out “j’adore.”

Napoleon Bonaparte admired Mellario’s acrostic designs and commissioned acrostic jewels for both Empress Josephine and his second wife, Empress Marie Louise.

The Georgian era acrostic pendant above features lovely gold cannetille work and gemstones that spell ‘LOVE.’ This beauty is circa 1820 and includes a compartment on the back for a lock of hair. It’s from Argentum Antiques & Collectables on 1st Dibs.

These three antique Georgian era lockets are from Fable & Windsor and they are all acrostic jewelry with gems that spell 'REGARD.'

These three Georgian era lockets are from Fable & Windsor and they are all acrostic pieces with gems that spell “REGARD.”

Secret messages of love encoded in gems went perfectly with the Georgian and Victorian love of romance and symbolic meanings. These sentimental jewels would have been gifted to lovers, family members, or even treasured friends.

Let’s look at a few more examples of acrostic jewelry, shall we?

Antique acrostic ring from the Victorian era. The gems in the flower spell out DEAREST. From Audrey & Wolf.

This lovely acrostic ring is from from Audrey & Wolf and dates to the Victorian era. It takes the shape of a pretty little flower with gemstones that spell out “DEAREST,” starting with the diamond in the middle.

Acrostic pieces are highly collectible and they’re getting harder and harder to find. Most of the pieces featured in this post are already sold, but not all. If you see one you love, don’t wait: snap it up!

A Georgian acrostic jewel from 1820, this locket's gems spell out the secret message of love REGARD. From The Three Graces.

This exquisite Georgian era acrostic locket from 1820 is from The Three Graces.

This beauty is a truly exceptional example. It is adorned with layers of grape vines and grape leaves, which The Three Graces says symbolizes fecundity, plenty, and the reaping of life’s bounty. Hidden within the vines are gems spelling out REGARD with a Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, and Diamond.

The locket opens to reveal a secret compartment, perfect for keeping the hair of a loved one or other treasure.

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