5/2/22 Report - A Few Notes and Examples of Identifying and Dating Old Gold Ring Finds

 

Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Gold Ring Engraved Oct. 5, 1701.
Uncredited photo found on interenet.

So you find a gold ring on the beach, how do you know how old it is or if it came from a shipwreck?  It might not be engraved with a date, like the one shown above.  And just because it is on one of our shipwreck beaches doesn't mean that it is old or that it came from a shipwreck, although there is some chance.

I've certainly made my share of mistakes.  I remember the time long ago when I found an enameled ring not far north of the Turtle Trail access and immediately concluded it was not old because it didn't look old and it was enameled.  I thought it looked new, and at the time, I didn't know that enameling was a centuries old process.  But it is. 

The ring shown above, besides having a date engraved, does look like a gold ring of the age.  (Perhaps someone can identify this ring.  It is even possible that is a 1715 Fleet ring.  Tell me if you know.)

There is another possibilities.  Antique rings are sometimes worn by beach goers today, so an old ring could be a modern loss.  

It always helps when an item is found with other items of a similar age and source, but even that doesn't prove much.

It helps if you study old jewelry and learn to identify styles and techniques that are typical of different time periods.

Below is a ring that dates to around 1650.

Knowing how gems were cut and set during different time periods can be a big help.

Metal detectorist Lee Morgan discovered the ring while exploring the south side of the island, which is a British dependency located off the northwest coast of England, last December. The exact location is being kept secret to protect the site. (That same month, noted BBC News in February, a retired police officer on the Isle of Man unearthed a cache of 1,000-year-old Viking jewelry.)

Morgan, for his part, has previously unearthed two other treasure troves: In 2013, he found a horde of silver coins from the 1300s, and in 2019, he discovered a silver ingot dated to between 950 and 1075, during the island’s Viking period...

For more about the historical significance of that ring, here is the link.

17th-Century Gold Mourning Ring May Be Linked to Executed English Aristocrat | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine

The following seal ring, in amazing condition, was also found by a detectorist.

A pristine 400-year-old gold seal ring (shown immediately above) found by a metal detectorist in the Peak District could sell for tens of thousands of pounds at auction later this week.

The high carat gold ring, which is set with a blue-tinted Chalcedony gemstone carved with the initials 'GL' and three candles, dates back to somewhere between 1600 and 1650.  

Here is that link.

17th century gold seal ring set to take £30,000 at auction this week | Daily Mail Online

I've made learned too many lessons the hard way.  If you study before you hunt, you might avoid the mistakes that I've made.

Of course there is much more to it than what I touched on today, but there are many examples on the internet to help you out.

Here is a good reference.

Guide to 18th Century Jewelry History [Updated] - Working the Flame

And of course I've done many posts before that will help.  Here is one of those, even though there are many to check out.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 7/28/16 Report - 1715 Fleet Gold Rings Found. Tumbaga and Depletion Gilding. A Diamond Ring, Gold Coins and Stinky Cheese. Two New Tropical Disturbances.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net