BYZANTINE GOLD RING WITH SAPPHIRE

Ca. AD 600 - 800.
A Byzantine 21 ct gold ring with a round band. The interior is plain with the exterior decorated with strands of beadwork, and ropework flanking a central ridge. From the applied globule on the exterior emerges a funnel-shaped bezel composed of six projecting prongs, securing a blue sapphire cabochon. For similar see: Byzantium and the West: jewellery in the first Millennium n. 14e. This piece has undergone X-ray fluorescence analysis to confirm the metallurgical content suggesting its ancient origin and lack of modern trace elements.
Size: D:18.75mm / US: 8 3/4 / UK: R; Weight: 7g
Provenance: Private UK collection; formerly with R. A. collection formed on the UK art market since the 1990s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.