ROMAN GOLD RING WITH PURPLE GEM

Ca. 100-300 AD. Roman. A wearable gold ring with a circular band, gently flared shoulders, and applied oval bezel set with a cabochon purple gem. Excellent condition. Roman rings were often embellished with intaglios, cameos and precious gemstones. Mythology and Roman history were used as a repertoire of decorative themes. Roman rings featuring carved gemstones, such as carnelian, garnet or chalcedony, were often engraved with the depiction of deities, allegories and zoomorphic creatures. Rings were also modelled in the shape of snakes, a popular form of jewellery deriving from Hellenistic culture. To find out more about Roman rings and jewellery production, see Higgins, R. (1980). Greek and Roman jewellery. London: Methuen. Size: D: 13.6mm / US: 2 1/2 / UK: E; 2.7g. Provenance: Property of a London gentleman, formerly acquired on the UK Art Market in the 1990s.