This massive solid gold ring is a modern mount enclosing the relief bezel from a Hellenistic bronze ring. The ancient piece depicts the portrait bust of a woman wearing a "melon" coiffure that is gathered into a bun at the back of the head. Although these portraits cannot be identified with absolute certainty, it probably is the image of a Hellenistic queen. Would this ring have been worn by an ancient Greek princess? Perhaps her husband or father wore it on one of his fingers to remind him of his loving family. Maybe it was given to the queen as a gift in order to curry her favor. The innate drive to beautify ourselves and our bodies with jewelry, ornaments, and tattoos is as old as humanity itself. Jewelry in the Classical era represents some of the most extraordinary examples of metalworking existing today. The luxurious nature of the precious metals naturally dictated that only a master smith would have work on these creations. This ring is certainly no exception. The artist has managed to capture a convincing, highly detailed portrait of a young lady in a compact composition. Wearing this ring today, one certainly feels like royalty. - (X.0033)

Antiquities
Ancient Jewelry