Medieval gold ring set with lapis lazuli gemstone

Code: 11537

This is a nice medieval gold finger ring, dating to the 14th - 15th century. It is decorated with a box-shaped bezel, set with a lapis lazuli gemstone. Lapis was an expensive stone that would have been imported from the Holy Land. This stone was ground and used as a pigment in manuscript painting. It was also documented to have been used in medicines against the 'quartan fever' where it was ground and added to rosewater. This is a nice example of a seldom-seen medieval gem, a rare piece that may once have been worn by a cleric, scholar or a doctor. The ring is intact and wearable with care.

OBJECT: Finger Ring

CULTURE: Medieval

DATE: c. 1350 - 1450 A.D.

MATERIAL: Gold & Lapis Lazuli

RING SIZE:  8 1/4  (US)       Q 1/2  (UK)

SIZE: 24mm x 22mm x 3mm (Bezel 10mm x 10mm x 4mm)

WEIGHT: 4 grams

PROVENANCE: Formerly in a Cambridge private collection.