An Egyptian Gold and Jasper Ring Bezel, late 18th Dynasty, ca. 1479 - 1295 BCE

The Egyptian name for red jasper is khenmet, to delight, linking the positive aspects of red with connotations of energy, dynamism, power, and even life itself.  For the Egyptians, it was the red stone par excellence, and this cowrie shaped ring bezel of exceptional red jasper, mounted in high karat gold, is indeed a delight. The stone is softly polished to a fine sheen, the setting constructed from a strip of gold foil wrapped around the sides of the stone and folded over the edges of the bezel's base so the underside could be seen. Soldered at both ends of the terminals are ring discs of gold foil, and originally a gold wire was fed through the bezel, creating a shank for wearing and allowing the bezel to swivel. Here, a modern 18k gold shank has been constructed in keeping with ancient design.

cf: Bulsink, M., Bomhof, P. J., & Kemp, A. . (2015). Egyptian gold jewellery: With a catalogue of the collection of gold objects in the Egyptian Department of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, cat. 127, 128 p. 172

Andrews, C. (1996). Ancient Egyptian Jewellery. London: Published for the Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Press. p. 163-165.

Condition: The jasper inlay and original gold bezel are intact, there is a small amount of tearing to the sheet gold but overall it is in very good condition for an object of this type and age. The 18K gold shank is modern, of typical ancient design, and in excellent condition. A modern 18K gold thread with rounded knob terminals attaches the shank to the bezel. Overall, the ring presents particularly well and can be adjusted for wearing if required.

Dimensions: US ring size 8 1/2 (UK=Q 3/4, DE=18 1/2, JP=17 )

Bezel Provenance: J. Bowman private collection, Boston, MA., acquired in Europe between 1968 - 1972, thereafter private NYC collection.