Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

Of Halley’s Comet interest: A 19th century amethyst intaglio ring, the eschutcheon-shaped amethyst carved to depict the profile of a gentleman, possibly Edmond Halley, in a high collar, with a comet passing behind, the gold mount with engraved scroll detailing, bezel dimensions 14 x 11.5mm, ring size N. £300-£500

Halley's Comet, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–76 years and is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth. Edmond Halley (8th November 1656 - 25th January 1742) was an English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist, and was the second Astronomer Royal. Halley constructed an observatory on Saint Helena and from there he catalogued the southern celestial hemisphere and recorded a transit of Mercury across the sun. Upon his return to England he was made a member of the Royal Society and was granted a degree from the University of Oxford.
This comet’s periodic returns to our inner Solar System have been observed and recorded by astronomers around the world since at least 240 BC, but it was not until 1705 that Edmond Halley understood that these appearances were reappearances of the same comet, and as a result of this discovery, the comet is now named after Halley.

In August 1835 Halley’s comet passed by the earth and observations were made by astronomers across the world made observations, including Struve at Dorpat observatory, and Sir John Herschel, from the Cape of Good Hope. Following the appearance of the comet in 1759 and 1853 the event was commemorated by jewellers.