After lying undisturbed for 1,700 years, its luminous beauty is undimmed.
But the priceless gold ring depicting Cupid might have remained hidden for another 1,000 years had it not been found by a metal detecting enthusiast.
Dating back to the 4th century, the gold and onyx ring would have been worn by a man or woman during the final years of the Roman occupation.
Cupid, the god of erotic love and desire, was a popular motif among Romans.
His image is carved into a nicolo stone – a type of onyx with a top layer of translucent blue – set into a carved gold band.
The boy god, also known by his Greek name of Eros, can be identified in the engraving by his short wings. He is shown leaning naked against a spiral column, legs crossed and carrying a torch in one hand.
Discovered near the village of Tangley in Hampshire, the ring is being examined and documented by Hampshire Museums Service and will be put on display at Andover Museum.
It was discovered in December 2013 and handed to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which was set up in 1997 to encourage amateur metal detectorists to report important discoveries.
Amateurs are allowed to search for antiques with metal detectors provided they have the landowner’s permission and avoid protected areas.
But certain finds, including those containing precious metals, must be reported.
The ring was inspected by Sally Worrell, national finds adviser with the Portable Antiquities Scheme, and John Pearce, senior lecturer in archaeology at King’s College London.
In a report, they wrote that the image on the stone ‘depicts a standing naked adolescent with crossed legs, leaning on a short spiral column.
‘The short wings which sprout from his shoulders identify him as Cupid’. – Daily Mail