- A 16th-century gold ring with eight diamonds was found in Wormington, Gloucestershire
- Stuart Jones discovered the ring after seven hours of metal detecting in November 2024
- One diamond fell off during discovery but was later recovered by Jones from surrounding soil
A metal detectorist has unearthed a 16th-century ring with eight diamonds. The ‘once in a lifetime find' is expected to fetch thousands of pounds at an auction. The diamond cluster gold ring was uncovered in the village of Wormington, Gloucestershire, by Stuart Jones in November 2024.
As he pulled the ring from the soil, one diamond came loose and fell into Jones' hand and a second jewel was also missing. He gathered the soil around the spot where he uncovered the ring, washed and sieved the retrieved soil and eventually found the missing diamond.
Stuart Jones, 42, from Solihull, said the find came towards the end of a seven-hour day of searching.
The ring is expected to attract bids of between £15,000 (roughly Rs 19 lakh) and £20,000 (roughly Rs 25 lakh) when it goes under the hammer at Noonans of Mayfair on June 23, reported the New York Post.
‘Overwhelmed With Joy:' Stuart Jones
Expressing his joy, Jones said he was “absolutely overwhelmed with joy” after finding the ring bearing eight diamonds.
“When I recovered the ring, I was absolutely overwhelmed with joy. I was over the moon. Everyone around me was congratulating me and taking photographs,” he was quoted as saying by the media outlet.
He added, “Without any doubt, the ring is the best find I have ever made. I describe it as my ‘once in a lifetime find.' Like many detectorists, I have always dreamed of finding something truly special, but I never imagined I would discover an item of this significance.
“I know I may never find anything that surpasses this discovery, but that is part of what makes it so special. Whatever happens at auction, finding the ring has already been an unforgettable experience and a moment that I will treasure for the rest of my life,” he concluded.
The proceeds of the auction will be shared equally with the landowner.
19.2 Carat ‘Very Rare' Diamond Ring
The ring was examined by the British Museum and Laura Smith, a jewellery specialist at Noonans, who said, “Early 17th-century baroque taste required grand rings to make an impression from a distance. Fashions in diamond rings moved from solitaires towards groups of small stones arranged in decorative patterns: rosettes, pansies, crosses, fleur-de-lys, etc.”
“This ring has a flowerhead bezel composed of a cluster of eight ‘hogback' diamonds (which is very rare), although two are loose,” she added.
According to a PMI test on the XRF Analyzer, the gold was found to be 19.2 carat. This is the exact gold standard that was set by Edward I in 1300. Goldsmiths were forbidden to work gold of less than ‘the Touch of Paris,' being 80% pure gold (or 19.2ct), Smith added.
