Italian, 15th century.
Ring size: UK Q / US 8 / EU 57
Bezel: 2.2 × 1.7 cm
Weight: 4.6 grams
This remarkable ring features a finely carved sardonyx cameo illustrating the Nativity, with the Virgin Mary extending the Christ Child toward the three Magi bearing gifts, while Joseph stands beside her. The Holy Family is shown emerging from an arched doorway, beneath the Star of Bethlehem—a scene rendered in delicate relief with exceptional detail and devotional intimacy.
The cameo is set in a 19th-century high-carat gold mount, probably English in origin, crafted to showcase the medieval gem.
A poignant and historically resonant example of devotional intaglios cherished across centuries, uniting Renaissance craftsmanship with 19th-century reverence for the medieval past.