​The Wiltshire Medieval Flared Cross Ring

Crafted for the Present:

• Museum-Quality Replica: An authentic 1:1 historical reproduction cast directly from the original British artifact.

• Bench-Made to Order: Hand-forged to your exact specifications at our Leeds Corn Exchange workshop. Preserving the past, forging the future.

• Guaranteed Authenticity: Independently tested and legally hallmarked by the UK Assay Office in your choice of Solid Silver, 9ct, or 18ct Gold.

The History of the Find:

​Period: 14th – 15th Century (High Medieval)

​Find Location: Wiltshire, UK

Style: Circular bezel with incised “Cross Patonce” and radiating lines

Significance of the Design:

• This ring features a Cross Patonce – a cross with arms that expand and then terminate in three points, similar to a fleur-de-lis. In the Medieval mindset, this style of cross symbolized the “flourishing” of faith and was often associated with high-status heraldry and religious devotion.

  ​Surrounding the cross are radiating linear scores, intended to represent the “Light of the World” or divine radiance.

  The shoulders of the ring are also heavily decorated with vertical grooves, a technique used to give the bronze a shimmering, multi-faceted appearance that would have mimicked the expensive gold “filigree” work worn by the nobility. In a period where Wiltshire was a hub of pilgrimage and ecclesiastical power, wearing a ring such as this was a bold statement of both social standing and Christian piety.

The Find: 

Discovered by a metal detectorist in Wiltshire, the original artifact still bears the “gold-coloured” ghost of its original mercury gilding. This was a process where a gold and mercury amalgam was applied to the bronze and heated, leaving a thin, durable layer of real gold. This shows that the ring was intended to look like solid gold, signalling that its original owner was a person of significant local means – perhaps a prosperous farmer or a minor member of the gentry.