THE MEANING OF THE SNAKE RING
To understand the charm of the snake ring it is necessary to understand how central the figure of this animal was in the most diverse cultures of antiquity. In fact, this particular scaled reptile has always stimulated the human imagination, becoming one of the protagonists of the mythology and folklore of peoples. As is known, in the biblical story of the Earthly Paradise the serpent of Eden is the representation of the tempting devil, who deceives Eve with the promise of forbidden knowledge. It is therefore the symbol of evil, but also of cunning: in Genesis we read that "the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made". But the Judeo-Christian religion is certainly not the only one to include the serpent in its texts. In various peoples of different eras, for example, the symbol of the ouroboros is present , that is, the snake that bites its tail , thus forming a circle with no beginning and no end. To usually symbolize the power that devours and regenerates itself, as well as the cyclical nature of things. In certain mythologies, the ouroboros ends up being the symbol of eternity, immortality and perfection .
The snake itself, moreover, has the ability to regenerate itself, changing its skin in an evolutionary process that certainly affected ancient populations. It is no coincidence that in Egyptian culture the serpent ends up representing both a beneficial deity and a deity of darkness. In ancient Indian texts, however, the snake represents the divine element present in every person, an element that ensures a mysterious and potentially poisonous energy but which, if managed in the right way, allows you to improve your life.
THE SNAKE IN THE JEWELRY SHOP
From what has been said, it is not surprising that the snake has become one of the most present symbols in the world of jewelry , among rings and beyond. What pushed in this direction, in addition to the multiple meanings and the many suggestions coming from myths and religions, were - and are - also the sinuosity of the shape of this animal.
The long tradition of snake rings It began in the Victorian era . The initiator was herself, Queen Victoria, who, as is known, ruled for 63 years, 7 months and 2 days: only the reign of Elizabeth II, her great-great-granddaughter, was longer. During these very long years on the throne, Queen Victoria strongly influenced the arts, fashion and yes, even jewellery. In the case of the snake ring, it all began with the queen's choice to receive from Prince Albert, or her husband, a snake ring in gold and enriched with an emerald . Queen Victoria wore the snake ring daily from then on, making this jewel famous throughout the world. This particular shape of ring has never ceased to fascinate, with various jewelery artists reworking and re-proposing it.
There are many maisons that, in their collections, have proposed and continue to propose snake rings, from Bulgarians on.
Bulgari, in particular, has adopted the serpent symbolism not only in the rings, but also in the watches, with the collection Bulgari Serpenti, which has become the quintessence of the style of the maison: opulent zoomorphic variants where the reptile's head, designed to hide the dial, is dressed in precious stones.
Bulgari's exuberant creativity then transported the snake symbol in seductive jewelry collections, where necklaces, bracelets and earrings offer stunning interpretations of the iconic design.
BOUCHERON'S SNAKE RING
Returning to rings, we cannot fail to mention Boucheron's classic snake ring , conceived for the first time in 1878 by Federico Boucheron for his wife Gabrielle, coining a model that remained substantially unchanged for over a century. With that jewel, the founder of the maison wanted to symbolize the love that bound him to his partner, giving her a jewel capable of protecting her during his absence. It is therefore not surprising to still find the iconography of the snake as the brand's emblem today : a snake is in fact also present in the Boucheron monogram , curled around the letter B.
But not only that: the Boucheron Serpent Bohème collection it is now one of those collections that have become myth and icon: the snake of the Parisian house sheds its skin, but the soul always remains the same. Continuous innovation, accompanied by the goldsmith's mastery and the art of chiseling, have meant that the Serpent Boheme collection is always recognizable despite the changes that have occurred over the years, also thanks to the constant use of the noble metal chosen by the maison. Gold, in the yellow and pink variants, is in fact the favorite material: sculpted into small spheres and flakes, as in the iconic model Serpent Boheme double subject.
In recent years, the collection has been enriched with models characterized by rich and lively colours, such as the Triple-subject Serpent Boheme, in white gold, with diamonds and the extraordinary Aquaphase gem. A further demonstration of how rich and fervent the imagery linked to snake rings is.
