6. The Ring of Chequers
Donn by: Elizabeth the First
Since the mid-1570s: owned
Value Estimate: Not Known
One of the few remaining pieces of Tudor-era jewelry, the Chequers Ring, is a bit of a mystery. The ring, which dates to the middle of the 1570s, has a mother-of-pearl set in gold and rubies. There is a locket on the ring. On one side, Queen Elizabeth I is shown.
The Chequers’ Ring on Pinterest (@blondiesr71)
The other image possibly shows Anne Boleyn or Catherine Parr; it is highly contested whose woman it shows—mother or stepmother. Given that Boleyn was recognized for having black hair, the reddish-gold hair in the painting is assumed to belong to Catherine. In addition, Queen Elizabeth I had an exceptionally close relationship with her red-haired stepmother.
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