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Sterling Silver and Mother of Pearl Star Button Ring

SKU 31129|5|*
Original price $120.00 - Original price $120.00
Original price
$120.00
$120.00 - $120.00
Current price $120.00

Set in sterling silver, a mother of pearl and spinel gemstone, this star button ring draws inspiration from a Coat Button on display in the collections of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. The Coat Button was made of pink conch shell, set in gold with a silver-plated brass and a gilt ten-pointed star at its center, and is one of many artifacts believed to have been personally owned by George Washington (circa 1789-1797). 

By the 1790s, large, luminescent disks made of exotic materials had superseded the earlier taste for modest buttons of metal or fabric on men's coats. Washington purportedly gave this button to Colonel Richard Kidder Meade, his aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary War, who in turn had it mounted as a pin and presented to his wife.

Spinel has a characteristic crystal shape, which looks like two back-to-back pyramids. Like ruby, spinel is found in alluvial deposits; it ranks 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it a tough, durable and hard to scratch gem, perfect for jewelry that one might wear every day. The spinel is valued for its beauty and rarity and is commonly mistaken for black diamonds with its opaque, jet-black appearance.

A perfect gift for the Holidays or any special occasion.

  • Mother of pearl star button is approximately ½ in. in diameter
  • Available only in whole sizes: 5-8

View the original button that inspired this piece here.