Jennifer David Hesse
As anyone engaged in genealogy research knows, the past is full of mystery: untold stories and secrets lost to time. When delving into the past, even mundane questions become vexing mysteries simply because the people who had the answers have long since departed.
My most puzzling mystery right now falls into the latter category. It’s a seemingly simple question with an elusive answer. I call it “The Mystery of the Butterfly Ring.”
The ring in question is a lovely, whimsical little piece belonging to my mother. It’s a gold ring featuring a painted enamel butterfly woman—that is, the profile of a woman’s face adorned with a green butterfly or fairy wing decorated with three red spots and a tiny diamond. It’s in the art nouveau style, which dates from about 1890 through 1910.
Recently, my mom, sisters, and I have been on a quest to discover the origin of this ring. Here’s what we know: My mom’s Aunt Iris gave her the ring when my mom was a girl. My mom doesn’t remember exactly when she received the ring from her aunt, but it was most likely in the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Aunt Iris (who was born on February 2, 1918 in New Orleans and died in 1972) never had any children of her own. My mom and my grandma (who was Iris’s sister-in-law) recall Iris saying that she had been given the ring by her Aunt Evie. Evie (short for Evelyn) was born in New Orleans on February 4, 1896 and died in 1977. Like her niece Iris, Evie never had any children of her own. From the 1920 census, we know there was a time when four generations of women were living in one household in New Orleans, including 23-year-old Evie and one-year-old Iris. And from old photos we know that aunt and niece (whose birthdays were just two days apart) were very close.
What we don’t know is how or when Evie acquired the ring. And we don’t know who designed the ring. We don’t even know if the ring was always a ring. In fact, the thing that has most aroused our curiosity is that we’ve been unable to find any rings just like it. Could it be one-of-a-kind?
Intrepid and determined (like our hero Nancy Drew), we spent hours diligently scouring the internet. And we couldn’t find a single image resembling Mom’s butterfly ring. But then one day, with the right combination of search terms and a lot of patient scrolling, I finally found a clue—I found the butterfly lady. It was the very same face, with rosy cheek, tuft of brown hair, and green butterfly wing decorated with three red spots. But she wasn’t on a ring—she was on a brooch. And a very interesting brooch it was. Much to my amazement, I learned that the brooch was designed by Henry Blank, a popular jewelry designer who survived the sinking of the Titanic!
Since then I’ve found two other pins on-line with similar butterfly lady faces, one painted and one all gold. But I’ve never found a ring. And, of course, Mom’s ring has no markings. So our questions remain: Was Aunt Iris’s ring originally a Henry Blank brooch that was later fashioned into a ring? Was it just a copy? Or could it have been a rare ring designed by Blank himself? (And, by the way, where did Evie get the ring?!)
We may never know. But, then again, we can keep digging. The answer might be out there somewhere!
p.s. I actually do intend to feature this ring in a fictional mystery. I just need to write the story to go along with it. Stay tuned!
My most puzzling mystery right now falls into the latter category. It’s a seemingly simple question with an elusive answer. I call it “The Mystery of the Butterfly Ring.”
The ring in question is a lovely, whimsical little piece belonging to my mother. It’s a gold ring featuring a painted enamel butterfly woman—that is, the profile of a woman’s face adorned with a green butterfly or fairy wing decorated with three red spots and a tiny diamond. It’s in the art nouveau style, which dates from about 1890 through 1910.
Recently, my mom, sisters, and I have been on a quest to discover the origin of this ring. Here’s what we know: My mom’s Aunt Iris gave her the ring when my mom was a girl. My mom doesn’t remember exactly when she received the ring from her aunt, but it was most likely in the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Aunt Iris (who was born on February 2, 1918 in New Orleans and died in 1972) never had any children of her own. My mom and my grandma (who was Iris’s sister-in-law) recall Iris saying that she had been given the ring by her Aunt Evie. Evie (short for Evelyn) was born in New Orleans on February 4, 1896 and died in 1977. Like her niece Iris, Evie never had any children of her own. From the 1920 census, we know there was a time when four generations of women were living in one household in New Orleans, including 23-year-old Evie and one-year-old Iris. And from old photos we know that aunt and niece (whose birthdays were just two days apart) were very close.
What we don’t know is how or when Evie acquired the ring. And we don’t know who designed the ring. We don’t even know if the ring was always a ring. In fact, the thing that has most aroused our curiosity is that we’ve been unable to find any rings just like it. Could it be one-of-a-kind?
Intrepid and determined (like our hero Nancy Drew), we spent hours diligently scouring the internet. And we couldn’t find a single image resembling Mom’s butterfly ring. But then one day, with the right combination of search terms and a lot of patient scrolling, I finally found a clue—I found the butterfly lady. It was the very same face, with rosy cheek, tuft of brown hair, and green butterfly wing decorated with three red spots. But she wasn’t on a ring—she was on a brooch. And a very interesting brooch it was. Much to my amazement, I learned that the brooch was designed by Henry Blank, a popular jewelry designer who survived the sinking of the Titanic!
Since then I’ve found two other pins on-line with similar butterfly lady faces, one painted and one all gold. But I’ve never found a ring. And, of course, Mom’s ring has no markings. So our questions remain: Was Aunt Iris’s ring originally a Henry Blank brooch that was later fashioned into a ring? Was it just a copy? Or could it have been a rare ring designed by Blank himself? (And, by the way, where did Evie get the ring?!)
We may never know. But, then again, we can keep digging. The answer might be out there somewhere!
p.s. I actually do intend to feature this ring in a fictional mystery. I just need to write the story to go along with it. Stay tuned!
More Answered Questions
Kathleen
asked
Jennifer David Hesse:
Hi, my name is Kathleen Costa. I contribute to Kings River Life, a local online magazine. I was asked, from the publisher, to review your book "Bell, Book, And Candlemas." I loved it, and am now going back to book 1 and continuing my enjoyment. The review will be up on Saturday, and I'll post the link on several FB sites. I will tag your name and hope you'll find a moment to head over to read the review. No question?
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more