Lumine Ring

$458.00

This thin ring is as delicate as it is stunning, and it is based on an example found in the excavations of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum, in the Bay of Naples area, and dating to before AD 79. It has a small area on the face that may be inscribed with one initial in Roman font type, or a very small design.

The Romans, like other ancient cultures, used rings with special and personalized designs on them, "signet" rings, as a form of self-identification. Often incised into the stone or metal, the designs on the front of the rings were often letters that spelled out a name or an idea, or symbols such as images of gods or personifications that meant something to the individual - or that recalled the person's own name in a clever way. As these designs (and therefore the rings) were personalized, they became a type of signature or an official mark of the individual, when pressed into hot wax on a document.

"The hand should not be overloaded with rings, which should under no circumstances encroach upon the middle joint of the finger." - Quintilian (first century AD), Institutio Oratoria 11.3.142

"Lumine" means "light."

Product Details

Height of Ring Face: 3 mm (.12 in)

Special Order and Personalization Options

If you would like your ring engraved, please specify the initial letter, or the design, in the Special Instructions area of this page.