Ancient Roman Gold Ring with Garnet Stone

$372.79

A finely modelled Ancient Roman gold finger ring, featuring a thin round hoop and a discus shaped bezel centred with a round garnet stone. The discus features an inverted rim, marked with incised lines, embellished with a dark red garnet secured inside a gold sheet socket with a gold pin terminating in a gold granule. Closest UK ring size H.

Date: Circa 3rd-2nd Century BC
Condition: Extremely fine, suitable for modern wear with care.

SOLD

SKU: CS-273 Category: Tag:

The ancient Romans considered jewellery to be an essential accessory, for it provided a public display of their wealth. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads. But as the power and spread of the Roman Empire increased, so too did jewellery designs, becoming increasingly elaborate. Different cultural styles from Greece, Egypt, North Africa, and the Orient were all incorporated to reflect Rome’s prosperity as a dominant, conquering city. The wide range of natural resources enabled artisans to create ostentatious jewellery using a diverse selection of materials: this increasingly included sapphires, diamonds, emeralds, garnet and amber from India, and pearls (which were particularly prized). Archaeological finds of Roman jewellery are relatively rare, considering the magnitude of Roman civilisation, and the historical and geographical span of the Empire.

The custom of wearing rings was popular amongst the Romans, and was probably introduced by the Sabines, who are described in early legends as wearing gold rings with precious stones. During the Roman Republic it became customary for all the senators, chief magistrates, and at last for the equites also, to wear gold rings.

To discover more about gemstones in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: The History and Mythology of Jewellery in Antiquity.

Weight 1.9 g
Dimensions W 1.5 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Semi-Precious Stones

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, item number 74.51.4075

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