In the 1700s, an "Order of the Garter”ring would have been worn by the Sovereign, British royalty, or elite members of the aristocracy who were officially inducted into the Order of the Garter, the highest and most senior order of chivalry in the UK
Regular membership in the order was strictly capped at just 24 individuals, plus the monarch and select foreign royals. These high-ranking nobles, who had been officially appointed by the King, would wear rings bearing the order’s signature buckle and belt motif to signify their lifelong membership and sworn loyalty to the Crown.
This enchanting tiny Early ring, is designed as a black enamelled 18 carat gold band or 'strap' set with a silver diamond set buckle.
The strap is decorated with the motto - 
"Honi soit qui mal y pense" in French. It is the motto of the Order of the Garter, the most important order.
 
This translates to -"shamed be (the person) who thinks evil of it". meaning
 "evil be to him who thinks of evil".
 
It is the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter, the highest of all British knighthoods.
 
Legend has it that King Edward III of England founded the Order of the Garter around 1348 after picking up a blue silk garter dropped by a lady during a court dance. In response to the courtiers' mockery, the King placed the garter on his own leg and uttered the motto, which Martorell integrates into the narrative to explain the origin of the order's insignia.
 
weighs - 2.4g
 
Buckle measures - 6.5mm x 8.3mm
shank measures 1.7mm wide
 
size - 6 and cannot be sized
 
18 carat gold, enamel and rose cut diamonds
 
Condition - fair antique condition. A lot of wear to the enamel do