Third-generation jeweler Nigel Weldon stopped by a local pawnbroker two years ago, not expecting to find what he identified as an impressive Georgian mourning ring. Always on the hunt for treasure, he added it to his collection sold at Weldons Jewelry & Antiques, where he works alongside his daughter Tamara and three pet huskies. The 225-year-old Georgian mourning ring—priced at $1500—once celebrated the life of English woman Dorothy Toplis, who passed away at the age of 64. The ring itself is made from gold, with an intricate centerpiece of a flower formed by five natural pearls surrounding a glimmering diamond, all of which lies atop a blue enamel center. An inscription on the inside of the ring reads May 17, 1792, the date of Toplis’ death. The creator of the piece remains unknown, as it lacks a maker’s mark. The ring contains a capsule where a loved one’s hair can be stored, says Nigel. “Unlike the standard Victorian pieces, this one does not have visible window where you can actually see the hair,” he says. Like traditional mourning rings, the ring was crafted for Dorothy’s husband, Robert Toplis, to wear in commemoration of his wife’s life following her passing. The Toplis family played an integral part during Britain’s industrial period. Genealogy reports from the Parish Records of Wirksworth reveal that the family was relatively wealthy, having owned several mills in Derbyshire, England, during the start of the nineteenth century.