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Description: | Gold finger ring with 19 diamonds of various cuts set around the hoop. One stone is missing from the back. The style of the ring is reminiscent of a belt and the bezel is in the form of a buckle, creating asymmetry on the hoop. The interior has been enamelled with black to continue this effect of a belt and buckle. Black enamelling is also visible on the top and bottom of the hoop.
Discussion: A ring of this kind, with stones set around the hoop, is a rare survival. Regular wear could explain the missing stone from the back of the band. The belt and buckle iconography was fairly commonplace, used in the Middle Ages as a pilgrim??s sign and continuing until the 19th century. The stones have been set deeply and it appears as if they have been pushed onto pitch. The variation in the cuts of the stones points to a dating of the mid-sixteenth century, for by the early-17th century cutting had become more regularised. Given the crudeness of the goldwork and the poor quality of the enamel used, it is possible that the diamonds were bought loose and only set into a ring as a display of the owner??s wealth. | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Hinds, Katie - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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