The Escrick Ring

Michael Greenhorn, a member of the York and District Metal Detecting Club, found a gold and saphire ring in a farmer's field in April of 2009.

Greenhorn, a metal detector enthusiast, stumbled across the ornate piece of jewelry, adorned with a large sapphire and measuring close to 1 inch across, in a field near the village of Escrick, south of York, England, in 2009.  Per the BBC, experts originally believed the treasure, now called the Escrick Ring, dated back to the 10th or 11th centuries.


Now a panel of experts say the jewelry is even older and more mysterious than they thought.  According to a release from the Yorkshire Museum, the Escrick Ring likely dates back to the fifth or sixth century, was manufactured elsewhere in Europe and may have belonged to a king.  In addition, historians believe the sapphire was likely cut still earlier, possibly during the Roman period.

"Nothing like it has been found in this country from the 5th or 6th century," said Natalie McCaul, curator of archaeology at the Yorkshire Museum, in the release.  "Hopefully this will lead us to finding out more about the ring and possibly even who might have owned it."

The Yorkshire Museum

One thing that isn't a mystery, though: the ring's value.   

Greenhorn sold the Escrick Ring to the Yorkshire Museum for $50,000.  The museum will conduct further analysis.    A group of archaeologists met at the Yorkshire Museum in England last week to discuss the Escrick Ring

The ring, among the oldest pieces of sapphire jewelry ever found in the country, was thought to date from the 10th or 11th centuries -- until the group took a closer look. 

The panel’s conclusion: The Escrick Ring was made in Europe, possibly France, and would have belonged to a king or leader -- not just a Bishop, as had been previously thought. It’s likely to date far earlier than previously thought as well: the 5th or 6th century, as much as 600 years earlier than archaeologists had believed.

"Hopefully this will lead us to finding out more about the ring and possibly even who might have owned it," she said. 

Attendees of the workshop, which the Yorkshire Museum said included more than 30 experts from across the country, decided that the sapphire in the ring was probably cut earlier, possibly during the Roman period, but the ring itself was specially made around the sapphire. By looking at the wear on the ring it is thought that it was worn for at least 50 years before it was lost.

The gold hoop that forms the ring also looks slightly different to the main part of the ring, with suggestions being made that it was turned into a ring later, possibly from a brooch or mount.

Further research, including an X-ray analysis and samples from the gold hoop, may help to pinpoint its origin.