A 400-year-old ring unearthed has finally been sold  

The 400-year-old ring, described by the metal detectorist who unearthed it as a “once in a lifetime find,” has fetched thousands at auction. The diamond cluster gold ring, which is thought to date back to the late 16th or early 17th Century, was discovered in Wormington, Gloucestershire, in November 2024.

The ring went under the hammer on Tuesday and was bought by an English phone bidder for £17,000. The 19.2-carat ring was examined by the British Museum. “This ring has a flowerhead bezel composed of a cluster of eight hogback diamonds, which is very rare, although two are loose.

The sale is not just about the value of the ring; it is about the history behind it and the privilege of being the person who helped bring an important piece of the past back into the public eye,” Jones said before the auction at Noonans Mayfair.The auction featured 14 metal detectorist finds, including a 17th-century gold ring with a memento mori skull motif, discovered in a Lancashire field.