A late 16th-early 17th century diamond ring discovered by a metal detectorist in 2024 was a highlight of Noonans’ “Jewellery, Silver, & Objects of Vertu” auction, held in London on Tuesday. The two missing diamonds were recovered and included in the sale.
London—A diamond cluster ring dating to the late 16th to early 17th century that was discovered in 2024 by a metal detectorist sold for £17,000, or approximately $22,400, at an auction in London earlier this week.
The ring, estimated to sell for £15,000 to £20,000 ($20,000 to $27,000), was bought by a U.K. phone bidder at Noonans’ “Jewellery, Silver, & Objects of Vertu” auction on Tuesday.
The ring has a flowerhead bezel, with a cluster of eight “hogback” diamonds surrounding a center rose-cut diamond.
While the shape is similar, the top of the hogback is rounded, not flat.
The underside of the bezel features a flowerhead in turquoise and white enamel. The shoulders have applied quatrefoil flowerheads and the band is engraved with scrolls and foliage.
The gold ring, which features a cluster of nine diamonds on the top with turquoise and white enamel on the underside of the bezel (pictured above), is an example of early 17th-century baroque taste, the auction house said previously.
The gold tested as 19.2 karats, the standard set by King Edward I in 1300.
Stuart Jones, a 42-year-old metal detectorist from Solihull, found the ring in the village of Wormington near Evesham, Gloucestershire, about two years ago.
The site where he discovered it was within five miles of two important manor houses that existed in the 16th century, the auction house noted previously.
The proceeds from the sale of the ring, which has been disclaimed as treasure, will be shared between Jones and the landowner.
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Jones works as a welder fabricator at Jaguar Land Rover in Solihull. He is engaged to his fiancée Iren, and they have a son Leonardo, who is 2.
He said he was delighted by the sale.
“Finding the ring in November 2024 was already a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but seeing it achieve such a fantastic result at auction is beyond anything I could have imagined,” he said.
“From the moment the signal came through on my detector, I knew I had found something special, but I never expected the journey that would follow through the Portable Antiquities Scheme, the Treasure process, and eventually to auction.”
The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is run by the British Museum and Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales.
It complements the Treasure Act 1996, which requires people to report certain precious metal and prehistoric finds to U.K. authorities, giving museums a chance to acquire them before the finder can decide to either keep or sell the item.
“The sale is not just about the value of the ring; it is about the history behind it and the privilege of being the person who helped bring an important piece of the past back into the public eye. Knowing that a beautiful piece of Tudor jewelry, lost for centuries, has now been appreciated by collectors and enthusiasts is incredibly rewarding,” Jones said.
He went on to thank the landowner, the PAS, and the auction house for their support.
“It has been an unforgettable journey and one that I will treasure for the rest of my life,” he said.
A gold memorial ring with a memento mori skull motif memorializing Dr. Richard Busby (1606-1695) sold for £3,200 ($4,200), purchased via a commission bid.
It was estimated to achieve £2,000-£3,000 ($2,600 to $3,900).
The interior of the band is inscribed with “Ri Busby STP ob 5 Ap 95 aet 89” and has a double-struck maker’s mark “G” within a shield punch.
Busby was the headmaster of Westminster School from 1638 until his death.
Described as “the most celebrated schoolmaster of his time,” some of his most notable pupils included philosopher John Locke, architect Christopher Wren, playwright Robert Dryden, diplomat Matthew Prior, composer Henry Purcell, and physicist Robert Hooke.
He is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Busby left money to friends in his will to buy remembrance rings, a common practice at the time, said Noonans.
Ninety foliate rings were purchased, with 20 featuring a skull motif, according to archival records at Westminster.
The ring on offer was discovered by metal detectorist Amanda Parker near Catforth in Lancashire in 2024. Parker and the landowner watched the auction online.
“I'm very happy with the result, it went for just above the top estimate,” Parker said.
“I had never watched an auction before, it was very exciting, however I am not sure what I will do with the money, maybe go on a holiday!”
