800-Year-Old Gem-Set Ring Once Worn by Medieval Bishop to Hit Auction Block

A rare gem-set ring once worn by a bishop in medieval England is set to hit the auction block at Noonans Mayfair in London on March 26.

Dated to the late 12th or early 13th centuries, the gold ring is set with a central hexagonal cabochon sapphire surrounded by smaller bezel-set satellite stones, specifically two garnets and two emeralds, in a cruciform arrangement. Noonans Mayfair set the estimated selling price in the range of £15,000-£18,000 (approximately $19,500-$23,400).

The ring had been unearthed in November of 2019 by metal detectorist Mark Sell in the village of King Row, Shipdham, about 100 miles northeast of London. Shipdham had been the site of one of England's largest settlements when the ring was crafted 800 years ago.

Sell, a 63-year-old retired firefighter from Swaffham, had been scouring a field for a few hours using a XP Deus metal detector when he heard a faint signal. He dug down about 9 inches and was amazed to see a thin line of gold peeking out from a clod of mud.

"And as I wiped away the mud, I could see the bezel of a medieval gold jeweled ring," he told Noonans. "I could also see that the ring was complete with all of the original jewels still in place and was in pristine condition.”

Sell reported the find to the landowner and handed it over to the county's Finds Liaison Officer. According to NPR.org, the Finds Liaison Officer is part of the UK's Portable Antiquities Scheme, a program run by the British Museum that aims to record people's everyday archeological discoveries into a historical database.

According to Noonans, the British Museum put the treasure (now called "The King Row Ring") on temporary display while it was in its care.

Noonans' jewelry expert Laura Smith was confident the ring was owned by a bishop due to its distinctive design.

“This form of medieval ring, with a principal cabochon stone, usually a sapphire, surrounded by smaller collet-set (bezel-set) satellite stones (garnets or rubies, and emeralds), can be securely dated to the late 12th or early 13th century, and is associated with the bishopric (office of the bishop)," she said.

The ring is billed as one of the top lots of Noonans Mayfair sale of "Jewellery, Silver and Objects of Vertu." The proceeds from the sale of The King Row Ring will be shared between Sell and the landowner.

Noonans reported that the Norwich Castle Museum has shown interest in acquiring the ring for its permanent display.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Noonans.