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A Medieval Bishop’s Sapphire Ring Is Going Up for Sale
A metal detectorist discovered the ring that is believed to have belonged to a bishop in the late 12th to early 13th century.
A sapphire ring that is believed to have belonged to a medieval bishop is heading to auction at Noonans Mayfair. (Image courtesy of Noonans)
London—A man using a metal detector in Norfolk, England, uncovered a medieval bishop’s ring dating back to the late 12th to early 13th century.
The rare find will head to auction at Noonans Mayfair in its “Jewellery, Silver and Objects of Vertu” sale on March 26.
Mark Sell, a 63-year-old resident of Swaffham and a retired member of the Fire Service, was using his metal detector on King Row, Shipdham in Norfolk on Nov. 22, 2019, when he discovered the treasure.
He had been to this field a few times before and hadn’t found anything, but a few hours into the day, he found what he called “the best item I have found so far.”
“I was amazed to see a thin line of gold in the clod of mud that I had dug up, and as I wiped away the mud, I could see the bezel of a medieval gold jewelled ring. I could also see that the ring was complete with all of the original jewels still in place and was in pristine condition,” said Sell.
Laura Smith, jewelry expert at Noonans, shared details about the ring and insight into the area’s history.
“This form of medieval ring, with a principal cabochon stone, usually a sapphire, surrounded by smaller collet set satellite stones (garnets or rubies, and emeralds), can be securely dated to the late 12th or early 13th century, and is associated with the bishopric,” she said.
The ring features a hexagonal cabochon sapphire as its center stone in a closed back collet setting, surrounded by four smaller cabochon emeralds and garnets, with a flat, narrow band.
The area where it was found, the village of Shipdham in central Norfolk, was well established by the time of the Norman Conquest, said Smith, and it was one of the largest settlements in England at the time, with its history detailed in the Domesday Book of 1086.
During the reign of Henry III, who ruled from 1216 to 1272, the Bishop of Ely built a manor house at Shipdham. Its moat can be seen on 19th century maps, said Smith.
“Also, of importance during the medieval period, this area contained a royal deer park, owned by the See of Ely. The park, composed of Little Haw and West Haw, was in existence by 1277 but passed into the hands of the Wodehouse family between 1561 and 1584. All Saints church, Shipdham, dates from the 12th century.”
Similar rings from around this time have been preserved, including one that belonged to Walter de Gray, the Archbishop of York from 1215 until his death in 1255, which is on display at York Minster.
There is also the Bishop of Chichester’s ring and the Whithorn Cathedral ring.
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The rare find will head to auction at Noonans Mayfair in its “Jewellery, Silver and Objects of Vertu” sale on March 26.
Mark Sell, a 63-year-old resident of Swaffham and a retired member of the Fire Service, was using his metal detector on King Row, Shipdham in Norfolk on Nov. 22, 2019, when he discovered the treasure.
He had been to this field a few times before and hadn’t found anything, but a few hours into the day, he found what he called “the best item I have found so far.”
“I was amazed to see a thin line of gold in the clod of mud that I had dug up, and as I wiped away the mud, I could see the bezel of a medieval gold jewelled ring. I could also see that the ring was complete with all of the original jewels still in place and was in pristine condition,” said Sell.
Laura Smith, jewelry expert at Noonans, shared details about the ring and insight into the area’s history.
“This form of medieval ring, with a principal cabochon stone, usually a sapphire, surrounded by smaller collet set satellite stones (garnets or rubies, and emeralds), can be securely dated to the late 12th or early 13th century, and is associated with the bishopric,” she said.
The ring features a hexagonal cabochon sapphire as its center stone in a closed back collet setting, surrounded by four smaller cabochon emeralds and garnets, with a flat, narrow band.
The area where it was found, the village of Shipdham in central Norfolk, was well established by the time of the Norman Conquest, said Smith, and it was one of the largest settlements in England at the time, with its history detailed in the Domesday Book of 1086.
During the reign of Henry III, who ruled from 1216 to 1272, the Bishop of Ely built a manor house at Shipdham. Its moat can be seen on 19th century maps, said Smith.
“Also, of importance during the medieval period, this area contained a royal deer park, owned by the See of Ely. The park, composed of Little Haw and West Haw, was in existence by 1277 but passed into the hands of the Wodehouse family between 1561 and 1584. All Saints church, Shipdham, dates from the 12th century.”
Similar rings from around this time have been preserved, including one that belonged to Walter de Gray, the Archbishop of York from 1215 until his death in 1255, which is on display at York Minster.
There is also the Bishop of Chichester’s ring and the Whithorn Cathedral ring.
When Sell uncovered this ring, he reported his find to the landowner, then handed it to the local Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Finds Liaison Officer (FLO).
Under the U.K.’s Treasure Act 1996, finders are legally obligated to report finds of potential treasure, and typically do so via reporting to an FLO, according to the PAS website.
The Act allows a national or local museum to acquire treasure for public benefit.
The ring was temporarily on display at the British Museum, and the Norwich Castle Museum was interested in acquiring the ring to put on permanent display, said Noonans.
Sell took photos of the ring to a Noonans valuation day, where experts shared with him the “extreme rarity” and historical importance of the ring.
The ring has a pre-sale estimate of £15,000 to 18,000 ($19,400 to $23,300).
The proceeds from the sale of the ring will be shared between the landowner and Sell, who said he does not yet have plans for what to do with the money.
Noonans has sold jewelry uncovered by retirees before, including a 300-year-old ring with ties to a witch trial judge, which will also be a part of the March 26 sale, as well as a 17th-century gold seal ring, and an 18th-century memento mori ring sold in 2023.
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