Posy ring; Fede ring; Gimmel ring

A perfect token of mutual fidelity and love, the gimmel ring (from the Latin ‘gemellus’, meaning ‘twin’) is made from two interlocking gold bands with a bezel shaped like two clasped hands. The message of love is reinforced by a small heart on the uppermost hand and by a hidden message on the inside of each ring. When the rings are separated the message is revealed. One reads ‘AS HANDES DOE SHUT’, and the other, ‘SO HART BE KNIT.’ This was a secret shared between the wearer and her lover.

Thesymbolism of the gimmel ring with clasped hands would have been instantly understood in the Elizabethan and Jacobean period. Contemporary marriage practices required material proof of contract and gold rings were used to indicate the intent or consent to marry. Gimmel rings seem to have been used as tokens of ‘goodwill’ in courtship and especially as a material pledge or ‘perfect Promise’ during the marriage contract. The union of the double band emphasized the binding agreement of the contract and the inscribed mottoes helped to reinforce the marriage vow: 'What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.'