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Posted on 06/21/2025 10:36:22 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A stunning gold ring lost at a medieval castle in Slovakia over 700 years ago has been rediscovered. The jewelry was likely worn by a bishop and includes an unusual Sri Lankan reddish-purple sapphire set in a band flanked by lions...
Beljak Pažinová led a team of researchers in studying the ring, which was discovered at Zvolen Castle in central Slovakia. A treasure hunter found the ring in 2001, but archaeologists didn't receive it until March 2023...
Although rings were common accessories for both men and women in medieval Europe, the discovery of a gold ring with a valuable gemstone is extremely unusual, the researchers wrote in the study.
To analyze the ring, the researchers used nondestructive techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, which analyzes scattered light to figure out the chemical composition of a material, and micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, which uses X-rays to determine the elements in a material. They determined that the band was made from 18-karat gold and that the gem is a 2-carat corundum, a hard mineral that forms both rubies and sapphires...
The trace elements present in the gemstone suggest that the corundum in the ring came from Sri Lanka, which has been an important source of the mineral since Roman times and is still known for its sapphire trade, the researchers said. The gemstone likely arrived in Central Europe via historical trade routes through Aleppo (in Syria) or Constantinople, the researchers wrote...
But when the ring was lost and who originally wore it are still open questions. The castle fell into disuse in the second half of the 14th century...
The style of the ring, though, places it around 1300.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
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The purple sapphire ring is shown from above and from below, along with a detail of the lion.Image credit: Noémi Beljak Pažinová
Beautiful piece and great links on the original article go to more beautiful jewelry.
Somebody diggin in the cesspit again?
Wonder why the finder gave it up after 20 years?
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