Mystery of medieval gold ring found in Slovakian castle

A medieval gold ring has been found at a medieval castle in Slovakia. According to experts, the ring is more than 700 years old.

The gold ring may have been worn by a bishop. It has a red-purple sapphire on the face. The sapphire was imported from Sri Lanka. The ring is also decorated with a lion.

Noémi Beljak Pažinová, an archaeologist at the Constantine University of Philosophy in Nitra, Slovakia, said the medieval gold ring had deep spiritual significance, protective power and social status. It showed the owner's wealth and sought divine protection associated with the symbols they carried.

Archaeologist Pažinová led a team of experts studying the ring discovered at Zvolen Castle. A treasure hunter found the ring in 2001, but it was not until March 2023 that archaeologists received the rare piece of jewelry.

In a new study, experts say rings were a popular piece of jewelry for both men and women in medieval Europe. However, finding a gold ring with a valuable gemstone is extremely rare.

Through testing, the team determined the ring was made of 18-karat gold and the gemstone was 2-carat corundum — a hard mineral that forms both rubies and sapphires.

"The main difference between sapphire and ruby is their color. Ruby is red because it contains chromium while sapphire comes in many different colors. We believe that the gemstone mounted on the ring is sapphire," said archaeologist Pažinová.

Trace elements in the gemstones suggest that the corundum in the ring came from Sri Lanka, which has been an important source of the mineral since Roman times and is now famous for its sapphire trade. The team speculates that the gemstones may have reached Central Europe via historical trade routes via Aleppo (Syria) or Constantinople.

According to research, the lion on the gold ring is also a rare image of an animal motif decorated on a ring in the Middle Ages. The lion was an iconic animal of this period and was considered a symbol of strength, courage and royalty.

Zvolen Castle, where the ring was found, has been in use since the second half of the 14th century. The ring's shape suggests it was made around 1300. Experts are still unsure who first wore the rare gold ring.