BONHAMS OFFERS RARE 15th CENTURY ROUGH DIAMOND RING UNEARTHED IN LEICESTERSHIRE BY METAL DETECTOR
A very rare 15th century gold and diamond ring, discovered by a metal detector in South Leicestershire, is one of the highlights of the Fine Jewellery sale taking place at Bonhams, New Bond Street on April 13th. The ring is estimated to sell for £15,000 – 20,000.
The discovery is extraordinary as the ring is set with a rough diamond. As diamonds are notoriously difficult to cut due to the hardness of the stone, they were not commonly used during the 15th century as craftsmen did not have the tools to shape them. The diamond crystal in this ring is in the same pointed shape as it would have been found in nature.
During the 15th century, rings were worn on every joint of the finger and many had sentimental or religious value. Although little is known about the original owner, the ring offered by Bonhams includes an inscription on the outside of the hoop in Gothic script: “amour mi tien” (love keep me).
Jean Ghikha, Director of the Jewellery Department comments, “Bonhams is delighted to offer such a rare surviving 15th century diamond ring. It is a superb example of its type and was lying undiscovered for over five hundred years.”
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Australia, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 27 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com
