Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

A late 13th/early 14th century gold, ruby and emerald ring, the hoop of D-shaped cross section, centred with a square bezel inset with a replacement cabochon ruby of pinkish tint, between square-sectioned shoulders each with raised oval secondary bezels of scalloped shape formed from vertical grooves and with punched dot decoration, and inset with cabochon emeralds, inner diameter 20mm. £3,000-£4,000

Provenance:
The ring was found at Banham on 5th April 2021 using a XP Deus metal detector on a ploughed field and buried at a depth of approximately 3cm. The find spot lies close to the 14th century church of St Mary’s at Banham, believed to have been founded by Sir Hugh Bardolph.

The ring is recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database Ref: NMS-D8F162 and has subsequently been disclaimed.

The ring was found with vacant central setting and with misshapen shank. It has been reshaped and inset with a retrieved contemporary Medieval cabochon ruby.


For a near identical ring of the same period, found in Herefordshire, see Portable Antiquities Scheme database Ref: GLO-1CA5DC.