A gold and diamond ring belonging to a noblewoman from the late 14th century has been discovered by a metal detectorist in Dorset.
The 600-year-old ring is valued between $35,000 and $47,000. (Photo: Noonans)
David Board, an English metal detectorist, found the rare gold and diamond ring while working in a field in Thorncombe village, Dorset. This unique piece of medieval jewelry has noble origins and is expected to fetch between $35,000 and $47,000 at an auction in London later this month, Ancient Origins reported on November 21.
The 600-year-old ring was a gift from Sir Thomas Brook (1355 – 1418), a wealthy landowner of the 14th century, to his wife, Lady Joan. Sir Brook served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset 13 times from 1386 to 1413 AD. The ring features two twisted bands that form sharp edges and weighs approximately 3 grams. The face of the ring is set with a pyramid-shaped diamond, and the back is engraved with black lettering in medieval French.
Board mentioned that a farmer friend allowed him to search for gold on the land. He was drawn to this field because it was relatively flat. Board searched the field twice before discovering the ring on his third attempt. At first glance, the ring resembled a piece of candy wrapper.
It is likely that Lady Brook played lawn bowls in the field at one of her many estates in Dorset for leisure and removed the ring to avoid it getting in the way. Perhaps she was too excited about winning or received important news from a messenger that made her forget to put the ring back on. The ring remained untouched in the field for over 600 years before being rediscovered by Board.
