POST MEDIEVAL JEWELLERY

Unknown artist

An orange cut stone in an oval, copper alloy setting.There are two components to this find. This first being the design on the oval setting, and the second is the stone with an engraving on the reverse.The setting is decorated with an inscribed, beaded circle near the top of the setting. There is a double row of tiny dots seperating this circle from the stone. Underneath this are pointed ovals/drop shapes around the whole setting. Each shape is seperated by two inscribed dots. Two lines of inscibed dots outline the shapes, converging on each of their points. There is discolouration on the upper and lower faces of the setting that suggests a flat strip of metal was attatched. It can be speculated that this metal strip may have formed part of a hinge or other method of attatchement to some other object (eg. chain or locket).The stone is trapezoidal, with the shorter face pointed outward, holding the stone in the setting. The stone is carved on the reverse, with a shield topped by a dragons head. The top of the shield has three points, with the centre point being raised the most. The shield is framed with two branches of leaves, one running up each side of the shield. A textured strip runs diagonally across the shield. Within this strip are three lozenges, which have a mark in each corner and one in the centre.