Gold and Carnelian Ring, Greece, Hellenistic, 3rd-2nd Century B.C., Gold, carnelian © David Aaron

The ring with engraved stone is an archetype of Hellenistic jewellery.[1] Engraved ringstones such as this were carved with an image in relief, so that when pressed into hot wax they functioned as a seal. The motif was therefore a very personal emblem of identity. One’s correspondence, business contracts and finger would each bear the wearer’s chosen insignia. The Hellenistic period was an aesthetically fertile one, characterised by the refinement of earlier jewellery designs and elegant employment of Classical Greek motifs, such as the female deity we find here.[2]

This large ring yet light gold ring has a hollow gold hoop, circular in shape and curved both on the inside and outside. The flank of the ring broadens to a flat oval bezel, set with a finely carved carnelian intaglio. Surrounded by a wide gold band, the stone is engraved with an image of the goddess Minerva (Athena, in the Greek world). Her hair is loosely bound and in her left hand she holds a spear, a symbol of her role as the goddess of war. Rendered skilfully with deft incisions, the drapery of her robe flutters in the wind.  

Intaglio rings of this kind are amongst the most beautiful survivals of the Classical period, and have been collected with fervour from the Renaissance onwards. Amongst such collectors was J. Paul Getty, and his collection contains two rings comparable to this one. Female figures of strength and beauty were popular choices for such stones, and both Minerva and Fortuna occur frequently. In a society that was as superstitious as it was religious, the image of a goddess was likely regarded as an auspicious motif. A ring in the Metropolitan Museum of New York has a similar setting, but the image is less gracefully rendered.