Ring with a Cameo Portrait of Italian Crown Prince Umberto in Gold

This ring shows a portrait of a young man in uniform, cut with a fine hand and a sure eye for detail. His hair is parted and a fine beard curls around his upper lip. He is wearing a uniform with a sash and medals, including a large, probably eight-pointed star. We thought long and hard about who is depicted. The medium of the shell cameo naturally points to Italy, because the Bay of Naples has always been the center of European gem production. We therefore think that the depiction shows the last king of Italy, Umberto II (1904-1983), who was only allowed to reign briefly as Re di maggio in May and June 1946, before Italy abolished the monarchy by referendum. However, he was crown prince of Italy for much longer, and in this role in particular he was long revered in Italy. The cameo is probably a testimony to this veneration; comparison with photographs of Umberto leads us to assume that the cameo was created around 1925. It was probably originally part of a dynastic bracelet depicting various members of the royal family, or a pin. The ring band from England, which bears hallmarks indicating that it was made in 1917, was probably attached to the cameo setting at a later date. Originally, the cameo was certainly not a ring. The ring came to us from the Rhineland.

Estimate:$1,000.84

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