The most enduring symbol of eternal love is the wedding and engagement ring. Wedding jewellery can be elaborately ornate, encrusted with diamonds and precious stones, but even the most simple of gold wedding bands is as romantic as the most ostentatious. It is the one physical expression of a couple’s binding pact to each other through marriage. But it isn’t just wedding jewellery that is an expression of romance. In Victorian times, jewellery was used by lovers who could not openly display their emotions thanks to the strict rules in society around courtship. A forget-me-knot ring would be a way of saying their lover was always in their thoughts.
Rings are the most obvious symbol of romance, but all kinds of jewellery have been used to express true love. A woman in Devon unearthed an ancient love token in the form of a tiny gold brooch. The medieval jewellery was discovered when the 66 year-old was searching a piece of Devon farmland with her metal detector.
Experts at the British Museum confirmed the distinctive jewellery was an ancient love token. With nine petals engraved with Latin lettering, with a tenth petal acting as a clasp, it reveals how jewellery has always been used as a romantic expression. Treasure hunters are always searching for ancient jewellery, which can turn out to be little treasure troves buried beneath our feet. If unearthed jewellery is given treasure trove status it is valued by an independent adjudicator and offered for sale to museums who might wish to buy it. The money is then split between the treasure hunter and the landowner the jewellery was found on.
In 2004, three men unearthed 14 pieces of Bronze Age gold and bronze jewellery and pottery, which was said to be priceless. The metal detector enthusiasts received a windfall. When they dug up the jewellery, they were said to be shaking with excitement as they immediately knew the jewellery was of value. The jewellery dated back to 1300BC and was declared of national importance. The jewellery included a gold bangle, bracelet, necklace and pendant, buried by a wealthy family as a ‘gift to the gods’. The jewellery is significant in that it helps archaeologists understand more about gold working and adornment in 1300BC. The workmanship in the jewellery was said to be ‘stunning’ and ‘unique’.