SurveysApr 24, 2026
Mother’s Day 2026 Jewelry Spending to Top $7B, NRF SaysNRF’s annual survey found that 45 percent of consumers plan to purchase jewelry for a loved one this Mother’s Day.
TrendsMar 01, 2017
Gold Jewelry from the Iron Age Found in Britain
Two men with metal detectors unearthed what is thought to be the oldest Iron Age gold work ever found in Great Britain.
Image courtesy of Staffordshire County Council
Leekfrith, England--Two men who were metal-detecting in a field in Leekfrith, a civil parish in Staffordshire, England, managed to dig up some important buried treasure.
Mark Hambleton and Joe Kania found what is being referred to as the “Leekfrith Torcs”--three gold necklaces and one bracelet that date to the Iron Age, approximately 2,500 years ago.
The British Museum believes the pieces to be the oldest Iron Age gold work ever found in Great Britain, estimating the work’s origin to date to about 400-250 BC.
“Iron Age jewelry is rare,” Lori Ettlinger Gross, a jewelry author, historian and MA candidate in the History of Design and Curatorial Studies at The New School, said in an interview with National Jeweler.
Gross also noted that much will be learned from where the jewelry was found.
“The thing that is most significant about this discovery is the evidence that it supports,” she said. “As people, as a culture and as individuals, jewelry was an apparent display of the self. It was made and worn because someone wanted to have the world see them a certain way, and in a way that perhaps stated wealth, beauty, or power.”
Julia Farley, curator of British & European Iron Age Collections at the British Museum, told the BBC: “Piecing together how these objects came to be carefully buried in a Staffordshire field will give us an invaluable insight into life in Iron Age Britain. The torcs were probably worn by wealthy and powerful women, perhaps people from the Continent who had married into the local community.”
Both Farley and Gross commented on the excellent condition in which the torcs were found.
Farley told National Jeweler, “I was completely stunned when I saw the torcs for the first time. They’re beautiful objects, and the skill which has gone into making them is incredible.”
Each torc was found about one meter (3.28 feet) apart and not far below the ground.
“As people, as a culture and as individuals, jewelry was an apparent display of the self. It was made and worn because someone wanted to have the world see them a certain way, and in a way that perhaps stated wealth, beauty, or power.” --Jewelry historian Lori Ettlinger GrossHambleton and Kania had permission from the property owner to search the fielded area and upon discovery, turned their finds in to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
An investigation determined
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
that the finds were “treasure,” a term in Great Britain that’s used for objects that are at least 300 years old and have at least 10 percent precious metal content.
The torcs have a precious metal content of 80 percent and weigh between 1 and 8 ounces apiece.
All treasure is property of the Crown in Great Britain, but Hambleton and Kania will still receive some sort of finder’s fee that, according to the BBC, they will split with the property owner.
The Leekfrith Torcs are currently on view at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke but will then head to the British Museum for valuation, before becoming available for sale to museums, the finders or landowner of the field where they were discovered.
Gross concluded, “Finding such early jewelry that dates to pre-history is akin to finding a needle in eons of haystacks.”
In 2009, the largest stockpile of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, dubbed the Staffordshire Hoard, was also located by metal detector some 50 miles from where the Leekfrith torcs were discovered.
The torcs have a precious metal content of 80 percent and weigh between 1 and 8 ounces apiece.
All treasure is property of the Crown in Great Britain, but Hambleton and Kania will still receive some sort of finder’s fee that, according to the BBC, they will split with the property owner.
The Leekfrith Torcs are currently on view at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke but will then head to the British Museum for valuation, before becoming available for sale to museums, the finders or landowner of the field where they were discovered.
Gross concluded, “Finding such early jewelry that dates to pre-history is akin to finding a needle in eons of haystacks.”
In 2009, the largest stockpile of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, dubbed the Staffordshire Hoard, was also located by metal detector some 50 miles from where the Leekfrith torcs were discovered.
More on Trends
The Latest
TechnologyApr 24, 2026
TwentyFour’s Digital-Age Locket Is a Virtual VaultThe “Vault” charm, our Piece of the Week, expands on the memories that can be stored in a locket by connecting to your phone.
Events & AwardsApr 24, 2026
Hamptons Jewelry Show to Return in JulyThe open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Meet the Real Moms of Day’s JewelersThe jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.
Weekly QuizApr 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value GoodsSponsored by Jewelers Mutual
Lab-GrownApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5MThe proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
AuctionsApr 23, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Fetches $1MThe Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.
CollectionsApr 23, 2026
Adam Neeley’s High Jewelry Collection Steps Into Salvador Dalí’s GardenThe “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Windsor Jewelers Names New Buying DirectorNatalie Feanny has been appointed to the role.
CrimeApr 22, 2026
New Mexico Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Native American JewelryThe pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.
AuctionsApr 22, 2026
Roberta Flack’s Jewelry Is Going Up for AuctionJulien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.
CollectionsApr 22, 2026
British Museum Curator Pens Book on ‘The Tudor Heart’Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Events & AwardsApr 22, 2026
Here’s What Sy Kessler Has on Tap for Las Vegas The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.
WatchesApr 21, 2026
Coco Chanel Enters the Game with New Watch CollectionGabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a character in the “Coco Game” collection of watches and the queen in its first haute horlogerie chessboard.
IndependentsApr 21, 2026
Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ ClassThe annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.
CrimeApr 21, 2026
Customs Nabs 1,500 Pieces of Counterfeit Jewelry Bound for NYCSeized in Kentucky, the packages include fake Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Fendi jewelry.
CrimeApr 20, 2026
Queens Man Convicted in Bludgeoning Death of Pawn Shop OwnerRodolfo Lopez-Portillo faces 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty in the March 2022 beating death of Arasb Shoughi.
Events & AwardsApr 20, 2026
Atlanta Jewelry Show’s Spring Event Is Hitting the RoadThe AJS Spring 2027 show will be held in Savannah, Georgia, with future shows taking place in other Southeast cities.
MajorsApr 20, 2026
Kendra Scott Names New CFO, Chief Business OfficerThe jewelry retailer plans to open 20 new stores this year and expand into new product categories.
MajorsApr 17, 2026
QVC Group Files for Chapter 11 BankruptcyThe retailer reported an 8 percent decline in annual sales as it struggles under the weight of billions of dollars of debt.
CollectionsApr 17, 2026
Edina Kiss’ Earrings Are the Devil on Your ShoulderThe “Devil” drop earrings, our Piece of the Week, are part of designer Edina Kiss’ new namesake jewelry line that she will show at Couture.
CrimeApr 17, 2026
FBI Issues Warning to Refineries, Retailers Due to High Price of GoldThe alert states that burglary crews are targeting jewelry businesses and details how jewelers and refineries can protect themselves.
WatchesApr 16, 2026
Cartier Brings Back the RoadsterThe “watchmaker of shapes” debuted the reworked version of the vintage sports car-inspired timepiece at Watches & Wonders.
IndependentsApr 16, 2026
Edge Retail Academy Updates Leadership TeamAs demand for jewelry retail coaching grows, the company has established a dedicated business coaching leadership team.
MajorsApr 16, 2026
Stuller’s Latest Mountings Catalog Is Out NowThe “Mountings 2026-2027” catalog showcases Stuller’s largest and most diverse assortment to date with more than 400 new mounting styles.
