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Size 3 1/2 Genuine Ancient (Roman) Byzantine Bronze Ring with Intricately Engraved Filigree Bezel Restored with Two 19th Century Antique Siberian Sapphires.
CLASSIFICATION: Ancient Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire) Bronze Ring.
ATTRIBUTION: Eastern Roman Empire (Constantinople), 10th-12th Century A.D.
SIZE/MEASUREMENTS: Fits ring size 3 1/2 (U.S.).
Overall Dimensions: 17mm * 16mm (outer dimensions); Inner Diameter: 15 3/4mm * 14mm (inner diameter).
Bezel: 14mm (length) * 6 1/2mm (height) * 1mm (thickness).
Tapered Width Band: 2 1/2mm (at bezel) * 2mm (at sides) * 2mm (at back)
(2) Gemstones: Diameter: 2mm. Combined Weight: 0.09 carats.
Weight: 0.94 grams.
CONDITION: Excellent! Completely intact evidencing only very light wear consistent with occasional (ancient) usage, very little porosity (surface pitting caused by contact with earth while buried). Professionally conserved.
DETAIL: A very well preserved and intricate openwork ("filigree") bronze ring circa tenth to twelfth century A.D. As you can see the ring is very delicate and elegant in design, a delicately filigreed and engraved bezel. The "bezel" or face of the ring is in a marquise shape (laid sideways). We're not entirely sure whether the ring was actually set with gemstones, as it might be that there were simply two concave recessions in the bezel intended to give the impression of gemstones. This style of ring, a bronze ring with either a concave or convex depression or knob, in bronze, but intending to give the impression of a gemstone, was quite popular during the era, and well into the Late Medieval Period. However whether the ring was originally set with gemstones or not, there were two concave "cups" which begged to be set with gemstones, and odds are, were indeed originally set with gemstones.
The Romans had a number of different adhesives they used, some of the most common being resin and bitumen. However one characteristic that they all had in common is that sooner or later, they tended to fail. Consequentially ancient "gemstone" rings are typically unearthed without the gemstone. True to form, this particular ring was not recovered with the gemstones intact. Since to our eyes the ring simply cried for the remounting of gemstones likely lost centuries ago, we took two antique Siberian sapphire precious gemstones of nineteenth century origin and set them into the ring. Rather than use bitumen pitch or tree resin, we mounted the gemstones using jeweler's epoxy. The gemstones are quite secure, but if you at time in the future wished to remove them, this could easily be accomplished using some thinner or nail polish remover.
In the world of the ancient Mediterranean (including the various Indo-European Celtic tribes), priests and sorcerers honored the sapphire above all other gems, believing that sapphire enabled them to interpret oracles and foretell the future. Sapphires have been since ancient times one of the most highly valued of all gemstones, and references to the gemstone date back to about 800 B.C. These particular gemstones were handcrafted and faceted by a nineteenth century Russian artisan near Yekaterinburg, Russia, home of one of Russia's most famous gemstone and jewelry production centers, famous for producing the elaborate jewelry of Czarist Russia. They are very beautiful gemstones and though not especially costly, they seemed an appropriate choice. Though the gemstones are not as old as the ring, given the fact that many cultures of the classical Mediterranean world (including the Romans and Greeks) made wide use of sapphire in their jewelry, and that the gemstones in themselves are historically significant, they seemed appropriate gemstones to enhance this ring's beauty, a choice which preserves historical continuity.
Fate has been kind, and the ring has been preserved in wonderful condition. The ring evidences very light wear consistent with occasional use in ancient Byzantium, and the intricate and delicate filigree is entirely intact. All of the metal work exhibits very fine workmanship, and is intact, notwithstanding the very light wear already noted. Nonetheless it is quite obvious that the ring was worn in life. However this should not be a source for disappointment. You must keep in mind that the ring was produced by an artisan and sold to a patron or consumer with the idea that the ring would be enjoyed and worn by the purchaser. And without any regard to twenty-first century posterity, that's precisely what happened! The original Byzantine/Roman owner of this ring wore it, enjoyed it, and probably never could have in his most delusional moment ever dreamed that almost fifty generations later the ring would still exist.
It should likewise come as no surprise that upon close inspection one is able to detect the telltale signs that the ring spent many centuries buried in soil. Porosity is fine surface pitting (oxidation, corrosion) caused by extended burial in caustic soil. Many small ancient metal artifacts such as this are extensively disfigured and suffer substantial degradation as a consequence of the ordeal of being buried for millennia. It is not at all unusual to find metal artifacts decomposed to the point where they are not much more substantial than discolored patterns in the soil. Actually most smaller ancient artifacts such as this are so badly oxidized that oftentimes all that is left is a green (bronze) or red (iron) stain in the soil, or an artifact which crumbles in your hand.
However this specimen is not so afflicted, and certainly has not been disfigured. Even to close inspection, it simply looks like an ancient ring, nicely surfaced, no immediately discernible blemishes. You have to look very closely, such as with a jeweler's loupe or in these photo enlargements, to detect the telltale signs indicating the ring was buried for millennia. This ring spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 years buried, yet by good fortune there is only an exceptionally light degree of porosity evidenced. It happened to come to rest in very gentle soil conditions. Consequentially, the integrity of the artifact remains undiminished, and despite the wear, the rings remains quite handsome, and entirely wearable.
This is an exceptional piece of Roman/Byzantine jewelry, a very handsome artifact, and eminently wearable, albeit it probably as a pinkie finger ring for a lady. The ring's size is a bit small for modern populations, but the ring was almost certainly worn by an ancient Roman adult woman. Take into account that primitive populations were generally of slighter build than today's robust populations, and many populations including those of the Romans and the Byzantines were then and even today were typically smaller than their contemporaries who are of Germanic, Scandinavian, or Celtic descent. Romans (and their Eastern Roman Empire counterparts in Byzantium) also oftentimes wore rings on all ten fingers (including their thumbs), so "pinkie" rings would have been much more common than they are today. And Romans wore rings on both the first and second joint of their fingers, the second joint obviously thinner (even on you and I) than the first joint where most people wear rings today. So a size 3 1/2 ring would not have been an uncommon size for the typical Roman woman, and even for a man of the ancient past, it would not have been extraordinary.
It is a quite remarkable artifact. The ring is very elaborate, and its integrity uncompromised. It could easily be worn and enjoyed on a daily basis. It is an interesting historical relic which pertains not only to the history of Roman Byzantium, but also to the history of jewelry production. The ring is very modern and distinctive in appearance, a classic and timeless design. The ring has a very nice medium bronze tone, unmistakably bronze, but very attractive. The ring dates to a time when the Western Roman World had collapsed - plunging Western Europe into 1,000 years of darkness. But at the time the Eastern Roman Empire still flourished as one of the globe's great powers. The Romans and their Byzantine successors were of course very fond of ornate personal jewelry including bracelets worn both on the forearm and upper arm, brooches, pendants, hair pins, earrings, intricate fibulae and belt buckles, and of course, rings. The style is close to contemporary tastes, and could be comfortably worn today by either a man or a woman. Aside from being significant to the history of ancient jewelry, it is also an evocative relic of one of the world's greatest civilizations and the ancient world's most significant military machines; the glory, might and light which was the "Roman Empire" (and their Eastern successors the Byzantines, who still referred to themselves "Romans").
HISTORY: The Byzantine Empire was the eastern remainder of the great Roman Empire, and stretched from its capital in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey) through much of Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and small portions of North Africa and the Middle East. Prior to the fifth century collapse of the Western Roman Empire, one of Rome's greatest emperors, Constantine the Great, established a second capital city for the Roman Empire in the East at Byzantium, present day Turkey. Constantine The Great sought to reunite the Roman Empire, centered upon Christian faith, by establishing a second "capital" for the Eastern Roman, away from the pagan influences of the city of Rome. Established as the new capital city for the Eastern Roman Empire in the fourth century, Constantine named the city in his own honor, "Constantinople".
After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, the "Byzantine Empire", lasted for another thousand years as the cultural, religious and economic center of Eastern Europe. At the same time, as a consequence of the fall of the Western Roman Empire, most of the rest of Europe suffered through one thousand years of the "dark ages". As the center of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople was one of the most elaborate, civilized, and wealthy cities in all of history. The Christian Church eventually became the major political force in the Byzantine Empire. In Byzantine art, God rather than man stood at the center of the universe. Constantine the Great is also credited with being the first Christian Roman Emperor, and was eventually canonized by the Orthodox Church. Christianity had of course been generally outlawed prior to his reign.
Under the Byzantine Empire, Christianity became more than just a faith, it was the theme of the entire empire, its politics, and the very meaning of life. Christianity formed an all-encompassing way of life, and the influence of the Byzantine Empire reached far both in terms of time and geography, certainly a predominant influence in all of Europe up until the Protestant Reformation. In Byzantine art, God rather than man stood at the center of the universe. Representations of Christ, the Virgin, and various saints predominated the coinage of the era. The minting of the coins remained crude however, and collectors today prize Byzantine coins for their extravagant variations; ragged edges, "cupped" coins, etc. Other artifacts such as rings, pendants, and pottery are likewise prized for their characteristically intricate designs.
Sapphires have been since ancient times one of the most highly valued of all gemstones, and references to the gemstone date back to about 800 B.C. The name "sapphire" comes from the Latin "sapphirus" and the Greek "sappheiros", which translates to "blue" in both languages. The name sapphire is also a derivative of the ancient Hebrew and Persian word for "blue" as well. To the ancient Romans however, the word "sapphirus" actually referred to lapis lazuli, another blue gemstone. What the Romans called blue sapphire translates to "hyacinth"; the green sapphire was "emerald", and the purple sapphire was "amethyst". In the ancient Mediterranean world, priests and sorcerers honored the sapphire above all other gems. They believed that the sapphire enabled them to interpret oracles and foretell the future.
The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on an enormous sapphire, and the sky reflected its beautiful color. They referred to the sapphire as "the gem of the heavens". As the centuries passed, European royalty came to favor sapphire believing the stone would provide protection from harm. Throughout Medieval Europe, the sapphire was thought to give the wearer strengthened vision, including visions of the future. Sapphire was regarded as an antidote to black magic and effects of evil spirits. It was held to be a symbol of truth and constancy. Sapphires are a member of the corundum family, and close relative to the ruby. In fact, a ruby is simply a red sapphire. The sapphire is considered one of the most valuable of precious stones. The principal sources of sapphire in modern history are Russia, Siam, Ceylon, Burma, Africa, and Australia.
SHIPPING: These antiquities come from a number of collections which by and large originated here in Eastern Europe. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers, principally in Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. All of these artifacts are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery via U.S. Mail. All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. A certificate of authenticity (COA) is available upon request.
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