The Ruby Ring: A Symbol of Love and a Secure Future in The Ball at Versailles

What the Ruby Ring Literally Is

The ruby ring is a small, brilliant piece of jewelry set with a ruby stone, presented by William “Willie” Brockhall to Amelia Alexander during the wedding of Samantha Walker and Quentin in Chapter 17. Willie pulls a small round black velvet box from his pocket, opens it to reveal the ring, and places it on Amelia’s finger. The ring fits perfectly. This moment marks their formal engagement, following Willie’s impulsive proposal moments earlier. The ring does not appear anywhere else in the novel; its significance is concentrated entirely in this climactic scene.

Where the Ruby Ring Appears and Its Contrast with the Emerald Ring

The ruby ring appears only once, but its meaning is enriched by a contrasting object: the emerald ring that Amelia’s mother, Jane Alexander, sells earlier in the story. Jane sells her emerald ring to a jeweler on 47th Street to fund Amelia’s debutante trip to Versailles and to pay for Amelia’s tuition. The emerald ring is described as Jane’s best piece of jewelry, something she wore to formal occasions. Selling it is an act of maternal sacrifice: Jane receives a check that feels like a fortune and feels a thousand‑pound weight lift from her shoulders. She never tells Amelia about the sale, and during the trip to Paris, Amelia notices the ring’s absence and suspects her mother is lying about why she didn’t bring it.

The emerald ring thus represents financial desperation, hidden sacrifice, and the weight of the debutante tradition that Jane hopes will secure Amelia’s future through a wealthy marriage. The ruby ring, by contrast, is given freely as a token of love, not obligation. Willie does not buy the ring with a fortune; it is described as “small but brilliant,” suggesting modest origins. The ruby ring symbolizes a future built on mutual affection rather than on the calculated social climbing that the ball was meant to arrange.

How the Meaning of the Ruby Ring Changes

On the surface, the ruby ring is simply an engagement token. But its meaning shifts when viewed in the context of the entire novel. Early in the story, the ball at Versailles is introduced as a tool for ambitious mothers to marry their daughters into wealth and title. Jane Alexander explicitly hopes that Amelia will meet a rich, titled man at the ball. Amelia herself resists the tradition, calling it elitist and outdated.

When Willie proposes with the ruby ring, he does so after receiving a job offer from Robert Walker (Samantha’s father) that allows him to support a family. The ring therefore becomes a concrete object that seals a new chapter: Willie and Amelia can now marry openly and build a life together without the financial anxiety that haunted Jane. The ring’s ruby color, associated with passion and commitment, reinforces that this union stems from genuine feeling, not from the arranged‑wealth paradigm the ball represented.

The fact that the ring appears at Samantha’s wedding—a wedding itself born from a genuine love story that began at Versailles—further underscores the theme. The ball, initially a tool of social ambition, becomes a catalyst for authentic relationships. The ruby ring marks the final step in that transformation: what began as a mother’s calculated plan ends with a daughter’s freely chosen love.

Character and Theme Connections

Characters

Amelia Alexander: The recipient of the ring. Her arc moves from reluctant debutante to a young woman who chooses love over the financial security her mother wanted to arrange. The ring confirms she has found a partner who can offer both.
William “Willie” Brockhall: The giver. He proposes impulsively but with a ring he has clearly prepared. His character represents the kind of love that does not require wealth or title at the start—he needs Robert’s job offer to make the engagement possible.
Jane Alexander: Although not present at the ring’s giving, her earlier sale of the emerald ring creates the emotional and financial conditions that allow Amelia to attend the ball and meet Willie. Jane’s sacrifice is repaid not by a rich suitor but by a loving one.

Themes

Debutante Tradition and Social Class: The ruby ring subverts the original purpose of the ball. Instead of securing a titled, wealthy match, the ring symbolizes a marriage of equals who love each other.
Maternal Sacrifice and Protection: Jane’s sale of her emerald ring is a direct parallel to the ruby ring’s meaning. Where the emerald represents a mother’s painful sacrifice, the ruby represents the daughter’s happy reward.
Self‑Improvement and Body Image: Not directly tied to the ring, but Amelia’s journey of confidence—she initially doubts herself—culminates in her acceptance of Willie’s proposal.
Love and Marriage as Destiny Versus Personal Ambition: The ring makes concrete the novel’s argument that love can flourish even within an outdated tradition. Amelia and Willie’s engagement is both destiny (they met at the ball) and personal choice (they choose each other over alternatives).

Study Questions and Answers

Why is the ruby ring described as “small but brilliant”? How does its size and appearance relate to the story’s themes?
Answer: The description emphasizes quality over ostentation. Unlike the lavish emerald ring Jane sold, the ruby ring is modest—reflecting Willie’s financial situation before his job offer. The word “brilliant” suggests emotional brightness rather than monetary value. This aligns with the novel’s theme that lasting love does not depend on great wealth; it depends on genuine connection and mutual support.
How does the ruby ring function as a foil to Jane’s emerald ring?
Answer: The emerald ring is sold to fund the debutante venture, representing maternal sacrifice and the pressure to secure Amelia financially. The ruby ring is given freely as a token of love, representing the payoff of that sacrifice. One is lost so that the other can be gained. Together, they illustrate the novel’s movement from transactional marriage hopes to authentic romantic fulfillment.
In what ways does the timing of the ruby ring’s appearance—at Samantha’s wedding—add to its meaning?
Answer: Samantha’s wedding is itself a product of the ball at Versailles (she met Quentin there). Placing the ruby ring proposal at this wedding links the two couples’ stories. It shows that the ball has already produced one happy marriage and now produces another. The ring becomes a symbol of the ball’s true legacy: not arranged matches, but lasting love stories.
If the ruby ring had been given earlier in the novel—say, at the ball itself—how might its meaning differ?
Answer: A proposal at the ball would have reinforced the traditional debutante script: a young woman meets a suitable man at the very event designed for that purpose. By delaying the proposal until a year later, Steel emphasizes that the relationship developed through time, hardship (Amelia’s job struggles, the long‑distance relationship), and personal growth. The ring then represents a love tested and proven, not a fairy‑tale instant match.

Conclusion

The ruby ring is small in size but rich in symbolic weight. It appears at the precise moment when the novel’s themes converge: maternal sacrifice has been completed, the ball’s social ambitions have been fulfilled in unexpected ways, and two young people choose each other for love, not for money or status. The ring’s contrast with Jane’s sold emerald ring underscores the progression from desperation to hope, from arranged security to authentic partnership. For readers, the ruby ring stands as a lasting emblem of the idea that a traditional debutante ball can lead to modern, chosen love—and that the best futures are not bought but given freely.