The 'Ripon Jewel', found close to the Cathedral in 1976, is a small gold roundel 29mm in diameter. The back is a plain gold sheet, but settings for gems have been fashioned on the front with strips of gold. The four square cells have been filled with amber, and the smaller triangular cells with garnets. The central setting and inner arcs of inlay are now missing.
The original church on the site of Ripon Cathedral was founded by St Wilfrid (c. 634-709) in 672. This type of inlaid jewellery was fashionable during Saxon times, and would have been worn by kings, nobles and important churchmen. The cross design formed by the amber inlays hints that the 'Ripon Jewel' may have been made for some ecclesiastical use, perhaps to embellish a relic casket, a cross or some other church fitting.
The Ripon Jewel
Contributed by Ripon Cathedral
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