Victorian Raj Era Elephant Hair Ring

A powerful talisman? Or a souvenir from a 19th century Indian safari? It's a little of both!

Elephant hair jewelry originated thousands of years ago as part of ancient African mythology. It was believed that these majestic creatures formed a connection between heaven and Earth, and that adorning oneself with a single strand of elephant hair would ward off harm and illness and bring about love, luck and wealth.

During the British Raj, Western European adventurers flocked to India and would commission elephant hair jewelry as mementos of their safari expedition.

A single strand of thick, coarse hair would be cut from the elephant's tail or collected organically through the natural shedding process, and then wrapped in gold or silver to transform it into a wearable piece of art.

While the practice still continues today, fine antique elephant hair pieces, such as this one, are very rare and highly collectable.

This wondrous ring hails from the 1870s and is made of a single strand of elephant tail hair that is wrapped in brilliant 18k gold. It has two indistinguishable hallmarks on the center cylinder most likely from the artist or jeweler who made it.

This chic and stackable band is guaranteed to be a conversation starter!