Kassner, Alois. Alois Kassner?s Gold Elephant Ring. Circa 1920. 22-karat gold signet ring with onyx backing offsetting the name ?Kassner? in gold, formed in the shape of an elephant. Stamped. In the original vintage paper-covered ring box. Kassner, sometimes referred to as the ?Thurston of Germany,? toured his homeland with a large illusion show. His best-remembered feat was that of the Vanishing Elephant, and this ring was crafted as a tribute to both the illusion itself and the elephant named Toto, who, by some reports, became a member of the Kassner family.