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Sasanian Style Carnelian Swivel Intaglio Ring

A yellow gold swivel ring with a red carnelian intaglio featuring an ancient animal carving and script, resting on a white box. - view 1
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Estimated value

$850 - $2,200

Rarity

Scarce(6/10)

Category

Jewelry

Era

Gemstone: c. 4th–6th Century AD; Setting: Likely 19th Century

Origin

🌍 International

Authenticity

Moderate(55%)
49

SASANIAN STYLE CARNELIAN SWIVEL INTAGLIO RING: IDENTIFICATION

A high-karat yellow gold swivel ring featuring a rectangular carnelian intaglio seal. The intaglio is deeply carved with a stylized quadruped, likely a zebu or bull, accompanied by a celestial star or sun motif and a line of Pahlavi-style script across the upper register. The mounting consists of a simple burnished gold hoop with looped terminals that act as a pivoting axis for the stone, allowing it to be rotated to function as a signet.

Compare with other jewelry in the archive: Edwardian Peridot & Diamond Garland Brooch/Pendant c.1905, Victorian / Edwardian Era Floral Lapel Pin with Chain and Pendant, Art Deco Style Marcasite Sterling Silver Necklace.

CROSS-CULTURAL PARALLELS

Where This Object Echoes

Persian Sasanian224–651 AD

The use of semi-precious stone intaglios as legal signatures for administrative bureaucracy.

Victorian England1860–1890

Archaeological revivalism led to an obsession with mounting ancient gems in wearable gold jewelry.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

  • •Sealing wax document authentication in trade and government.

Meaning Through Time

Antiquity

A functional tool for identity and legal authority.

Modernity

A decorative object symbolizing historical prestige and connoisseurship.

SCARCITY

Scarce80-90%
CommonLegendary

Genuinely harder to find. Perhaps only dozens come to market annually. Collectors actively watch for these pieces.

Rarity 6/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 3 jewelry items at rarity 6 or higher.

Typical Characteristics

  • Dozens per year at market
  • Documented provenance valued
  • Active collector pursuit

Confidence Factors

  • Modern high-quality reproductions of Sasanian seals are prevalent in the Middle Eastern market.
  • The gold setting lacks visible hallmarks, making era-attribution of the mount speculative.
  • The script requires epigraphic analysis to ensure it is not a pseudo-inscription common in 19th-century copies.
How does authenticity detection work?

GEMOLOGIST'S ASSESSMENT

Jewelry Historian & Gemologist-Informed Appraiser

Jewelry Specialist

The iconography is strongly anchored in documented Sasanian types, but the setting's age versus the gemstone's age requires physical inspection to confirm if they are contemporary or a later marriage.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Pahlavi script register above the central motif.
  • 2Swivel mount construction typical of archaeological revival styles.
  • 3Color and translucency of carnelian consistent with Iranian or Indian sources.
  • 4High-karat gold 'bloom' suggesting 18k or higher purity.

UNCERTAINTIES

  • •Cleanliness of the drill holes may indicate a later production gemstone.
  • •Lack of 'earth encrustation' or heavy scratching often seen on excavated seals.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Obtain a high-resolution macro photograph of the Pahlavi script for translation.
  • →Conduct a density test on the gold to determine karat weight.
  • →Examine the intaglio under 40x magnification for modern drill marks.

CONDITION & GRADE

Good - minor wear to gold, intaglio intact

Grading breakdown

The gemstone shows excellent preservation of the carved details and script; the metalwork shows expected thinning of the swivel axis which and minor surface bloom on the high-purity gold.

Condition

The intaglio remains crisp with minimal internal crazing. The pivot mechanism appears functional, though the gold loops show slight thinning at the contact points from centuries or decades of rotation.

GEMSTONE & METAL VALUE

$850 - $2,200

Updated: May 10, 2026

Who buys this

Collectors of ancient Near Eastern antiquities and enthusiasts of Victorian archaeological revival jewelry.

What increases value

  • •Legibility and authenticity of the Pahlavi script
  • •Functionality of the swivel mechanism
  • •Proven gold purity of the mount

What lowers value

  • •Evidence of modern rotary tool marks in the carving
  • •Damage to the vulnerable gold loops at the pivot points

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Documented provenance from a known 19th-century collection
  • •Highly detailed animal anatomy in the carving

Grade & condition

Depth of carving, clarity of stone, and structural integrity of the swivel axis.

Rarity & demand

ScarceModerate demandModerate liquidity
Browse similar jewelry objects

For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

FROM THE CABINET OF

MA

marjenna
Wonderseeker•1 item

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