David Board, 69, a metal detectorist, found a medieval diamondwedding ring near Thorncombe, in the South West of England, that is expected to fetch between £30,000 and £40,000 ($35,500 and $47,300) at auction.
According to news reports, Board said the gold ring was “a once-in-a-lifetime” find, since the ring was individual, unique, and not mass produced. He found it during the second day of a field search. When he dug it up, it was covered in mud and he thought it was just scrap metal. When he got home and washed it, he realized that there must be something more there.
According to Nigel Mills, a consultant at Noonans, a London-based specialist auctioneer and valuer of jewelry and watches, the ring “is in almost perfect condition and has an inverted diamond set into the raised bezel so that it comes to a point. The hoop is composed of two neatly entwined bands symbolizing the union of the couple. Inside the band is an inscription in French ‘ieo vos tien foi tenes le moy’ (translating as I hold your faith, hold mine)”.
Due to the location of the find and the quality of the ring, Noonans concluded that “it was, quite possibly, the wedding ring given by Sir Thomas Brook to his wife Lady Joan Brook for their marriage in 1388.”
BRON: israelidiamond.co.il 28-11-2022
