Oval Garnet Intaglio Portrait Ring of Athena Goddess of Athens

A preloved garnet ring made in silver. The silver oval shaped ring is set with a faceted garnet stone. The ring has a great design with one large oval garnet stone set in a silver or...

Exceptionally rare and fashioned in the 2nd or 3rd century CE, the carved carnelian gemstone at the center of this ring hails from the Roman Empire. Displaying a rich red color and carved with the image of two Roman deities with a child, the creation exudes the glory of late antiquity. Each taking a classical contrapposto stance, the leftmost god appears crowned with laurels and grasping a staff, while the other appears nude. At their feet, an infant stretches his arms upward toward the divine figures. The crimson carnelian, more than a millennia-old, is set into a later 14K gold ring setting...