Rings

Ash

All illustrations by Aisling Tuohy
Rings seem to be a new type of jewellery in Roman Britain and they quickly become quite popular. There are different types of rings that are available in this period, some of which are detailed below.

Snake Rings

Snakes had a symbolic significance in both the Graeco-Roman and Celtic religions therefore, jewellery in this form is quite important in the fashions of these two worlds. Serpentiform jewellery is introduced during the 1st Century AD and is popular throughout the Roman period. The majority of snake-rings found in Britain were made here, rather than imported (Johns 1996).
For our period of history, there are four principal types of snake ring.
  1. Simple spiral rings with one snake.There is evidence that this particular type of ring is manufactured locally and in non - precious metals (Johns 1996).
  2. Rings with two snakehead terminals, known in both precious and non-precious metals and with a lot of variants.
  3. A first century type from Pompeii (two opposing snakeheads) is known from London. A variant of this type is known from the Snettisham Hoard which consisted of a flat ribbon of silver with the serpent heads stamped out at low relief at the terminals (Johns 1996). Similar rings are known in bronze.
  4. Another example that is known from the Snettisham hoard is a type in which the two ends of the ring overlap and the heads curve back in the opposite direction (Johns 1996).

Wire Rings

This is a very basic type of ring that is known in early and later periods so is perfect for our period. Overlapped wire rings are more prominent in bronze which highlights their status as inexpensive items of jewellery that can be worn by everyone.

There is examples made in precious metals (silver and gold) from the Snettisham hoard and are more complex than the simpler wire rings. Catherine Johns describes this ring:

'Its two tapered ends are overlapped, entwined around the hoop and completed with spirals surmounted by silver globules. The area between these two terminals becomes a bezel zone that is filled in with twisted wire placed to form a herringbone pattern.'

In addition to those examples known from the Snettisham hoard, there is a single silver example known from Caerleon. It is probable that this ring was produced by the same jeweller as the Snettisham hoard.

Raised Bezel Rings
This type of ring has a fairly thin loop with a raised round or oval box-bevel set with a gem (Johns 1996). Where the bezel attaches to the loop, decoration in the form of decorative beads or small spheres of gold can be found.

Ring Keys
Another type of ring that can be used throughout our period is that of the ring key. This is a type that is known throughout the Roman period and as such, is relatively undatable apart from context.
These rings appear to be purely functional as evidenced by the lack of stylisation and decoration. They were designed for rotary locks fitted to items such as caskets and strong boxes (Johns 1996).
These rings are mainly found in bronze although some types are known in iron. There are also some examples that are made from both bronze and iron.
Examples from Britain have been found in London and from a grave group in Elsenham, Essex. The latter example was dated to the second century and was found with some of the lock fittings such as the lock plate and fragments of the lock mechanism (Johns 1996).
In later Roman periods, stylised versions of the ring key appear but the simple and functional type should be used in our first century context.

Non-metal rings
There are examples of rings which are made from non metals such as glass and jet.
Examples of glass rings are known from both Britain and the Continent. The full range of colours obtainable in glass was available and the methods of shaping varied from twisting and punching to moulding the glass while hot (Johns 1996).
An example from Shakenoak in Oxfordshire takes the form of a band of glass curved into a loop and sealed in a mould that take the form of a decorative bezel (Johns 1996).
Another two examples from London are similar to the standard bezel form. They are made from clear glass with spiral trails of yellow and have bezels of contrasting colours.

Jet jewellery is also found in Britain during the first century AD. The forms of jet rings are influenced by those known in metal. Jet can be highly polished and decorated. If you would like a jet ring, then it is better to stick to metal forms which are known from the 1st century AD or to simple finger rings with linear engraved decoration.

Quartzes were not only used as stone settings but also used to create finger rings. However, it would appear that these rings are not really suitable for normal wear and may have been created for funerary use or as seals.