Gold ring with diamond from 1388

A gold medieval ring discovered inThorncombe (south-west England) by prospector David Board, three months after he bought a new metal detector. The jewel was on sale for nearly £40,000.

The gold ring is believed to have been given by the wealthy landowner Sir Thomas Brook to his future wife Lady Joan in 1388. Board (69) was thrilled with the find and described it as his "life's work". "I was allowed to search the property by a farmer friend. I went through the field several times and discovered the ring for the third time," said the prospector.

Board used to drive a tanker carrying milk before he retired. He started searching with metal detectors more than 40 years ago when he lived near the sea. He went mainly to the beaches. He gave up that hobby when he moved away. He started searching again in November 2018 when he retired. He bought a new metal detector and in February 2019 he discovered a medieval ring.

Noonans Auction House said the ring was in excellent condition. It was made of two interlocking gold bands. Experts say it was a wedding ring. "You really only get a find like this once in a lifetime, but I will continue to search with the metal detector," the board added.

The ring was found at a depth of about 12 centimetres. At first, Board thought he had discovered some worthless packaging. When he pulled the jewel out of the soil, he discovered the ring and put it in his pocket. The jewel caught the attention of media around the world.

Local finds officer Lucy Shipley took the ring to the British Museum, where experts confirmed it was a valuable piece of medieval jewellery. Half the money raised from the sale went to the finder, the other to the landowner.

According to Noonans experts, the ring is worth around £40,000. "It is in near perfect condition and has an inverted diamond set in a raised lunette to make the point stand out," said Nigel Mills of Noonans.

He reckons the design of the ring itself has clear symbolism. "The intertwining of the two gold bands symbolises the connection between two people. Then on the inside of the jewellery there is an inscription in French 'Ieo vos tien foi tenes le moy' - which means 'As I hold your faith, hold mine'. The ring has an amazing aura," Mills revealed.

Sources: www.bbc.com, www.countypress.co.uk