British archaeologists are scratching their heads over the ancient sapphire ring featured in this post. They're having trouble dating this rare find because they've never seen anything like this before, according to the Yorkshire Museum, where this piece is on exhibit.
What the experts do know is that this ring is the work of a highly skilled craftsman and that it comprises gold, glass and a large cabochon sapphire. They're guessing that the ring was designed any time during the seventh to 11th centuries.
Putting a more accurate date on the ring is going to require a team of experts, as well as a jeweler who was asked to remake the ring to determine what skills were needed to create it. The elite group, which will include experts from UK universities and museums, will be meeting soon to discuss their findings and put an end to the mystery.
"This beautiful ring has really got us puzzled," museum curator of archaeology Natalie McCaul told the BBC, adding that the meeting may "shed new light on the ring" and "reveal some of its secrets."
The sapphire ring was unearthed in 2009 just south of York by a treasure hunter using a metal detector. The Yorkshire Museum raised £35,000 (approx. $55,000) to purchase the ring.
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