An extremely rare bejewelled ring that is believed to have belonged to a Medieval bishop is tipped to sell for £18,000 after being unearthed by a metal detectorist.
Mark Sell was searching a muddy field in the historic Norfolk village of Shipdham when he made the stunning find.
He dug down nine inches and, to his amazement, uncovered the treasure in a clod of mud.
The ring dates back to the late 12th or early 13th century and has been immaculately preserved over the past 800 years, with its five original gem stones still in place.
It has a large sapphire in the middle which is surrounded by emeralds and garnets.
In Medieval times these rings were associated with bishops. Walter de Grey, the powerful Archbishop of York, was known to have had one.
An extremely rare bejewelled gold ring that belonged to a Medieval bishop is tipped to sell for £18,000 after being unearthed by a metal detectorist
The ring dates back to the late 12th or early 13th century and has been immaculately preserved over the past 800 years, with its five original gem stones still in place
The Bishop of Ely during the 13th century, when King Henry III was on the throne, built a manor house at Shipdham.
It raises the prospect that the ring could have belonged to him.
Mr Sell, a 63-year-old retired firefighter, reported his find to his local Finds Liaison Officer.
The ring was temporarily displayed at the British Museum but it has now been disclaimed as treasure.
Mr Sell, from Swaffham, is now selling it at auction.
He said he was just about to call it a day having been searching for several hours when he made the discovery.
He said: ‘I had been on the field a couple of times before but had not found anything of importance and had been detecting for a couple of hours with a friend, using my XP Deus metal detector, when just before it started to go dark.
Mark Sell was searching a muddy field in the historic Norfolk village of Shipdham when he made the stunning find
It has a large sapphire in the middle which is surrounded by emeralds and garnets
‘I got a faint signal and dug down about nine inches to find what has to be 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.’
Mr Sell is putting the ring up for sale at auctioneers Noonans, of Mayfair, London, and will split the proceeds with the landowner.
Shipdham was a well established settlement by the time of the Norman Conquest and extensively detailed in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Laura Smith, Noonans jewellery expert, said: ‘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.
‘Other similar rings include one belonging to Walter de Gray, the wealthy and powerful Archbishop of York – Archbishop from 1215 – until his death in 1255 – which is on display at York Minster; as well as the Bishop of Chichester’s Ring and the Whithorn Cathedral ring.’
